South African Minister of Social Development Dr Zola Skweyiya is set to launch a programme to distribute food parcels worth over R230-million over the next three months to poor families as part of the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme.
The launch will take place on Friday in Polokwane, the capital of the Limpopo province.
”The government is embarking on this programme as part of its commitment to push back the frontiers of poverty and to ensure that the most vulnerable people especially children and child-headed households are assisted to have food on their tables,” Skweyiya said.
Limpopo Premier Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi, Health and Welfare MEC Sello Moloto, business, labour, faith-leaders, traditional leaders, NGOs and members
of the community are expected to attend the occasion. Skweyiya is also expected to outline other government interventions to alleviate poverty including increases in social grants for children, older persons and people with disabilities; food price monitoring, establishment of sustainable household and community food security and nutrition programmes in schools.
The R230-million to be used for the distribution of food parcels is part of the R400-million allocated by cabinet last year to assist poor families to cope with spiraling food prices. – I-Net-Bridge