02 May 2020

Kgalagadi District Council is facing food shortage in stores to purchase for distribution to households affected by COVID-19.  

Council secretary, Ms Baipelelang Photlokwe said there were instances where they could not supply adequately because general dealers and tuck-shops where they procured did not have enough food. She said they bought from  small local businesses to support them.

She said some of the items out of stock were produced in South Africa, but that due to the lockdown they could not be found. She noted that some of the items included in the food relief basket included fresh produce from local farmers.

She said the council had bought items from125 small businesses from all 36 villages in the district in line with local economic empowerment policies.

However, she said due to the lockdown food demand was high hence a noticeable hike in prices.

“We see increases in prices because the demand for food is too high. Before we do business with a small business first we check price competitiveness. When we find that the prices are too high we do not buy because it will not be sustainable for government. We do not want them to make a loss at the same time we do not want them to be over pricing.”

Ms Photlokwe urged the business community to avoid fraudulent activities and imposters who posed as middleman for the council. “Our procurement processes are very clear. There is no middleman involved as we buy directly,” she said.

To procure food relief supplies, she said government has disbursed P2.5 million to Kgalagadi while over P300 000 has been released to hire transport to augment the government fleet where there was need.

She said about 10 000 households had been assessed and that over 7 000 had been recommended for assistance, adding that food had been distributed to about 5 000 households and assessments ongoing.

Ms Photlokwe noted that the pandemic had stretched their budget as the number of those who needed food supplies tripled. She added that under normal circumstances, council assisted about 3 400 beneficiaries.

"When we started it was a bit slow because we had employed 34 new officers for assessments, but once they gained momentum complaints reduced." 

She said the assessment process was slow because they were working on  identifying general dealers to procure from to augment donations received from various companies.

Food distribution, she said, had been carried out in some households in all of the 36 villages in Kgalagadi District, and that assessments process was now moving to cattle posts and farms.

Furthermore, she noted that food supplies from both primary and junior secondary schools had been used to augment COVID-19 food relief supplies.  She applauded team work from all government departments to respond to the pandemic. ENDS