KZN churches pledge R1m to Covid-19 relief

CHURCHES across KwaZulu-Natal have pledged R1 million towards local coronavirus relief efforts.

A broad and inclusive coalition of churches, Christian associations, ecumenical networks and ministers’ fraternals, are together seeking to use their extensive footprint across the province to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the related lockdown and their impact.

In a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa this weekend, they applauded his decisive leadership.

“In particular we affirm the generous and commendable example set by you, your Cabinet and the premiers, of pledging a third of your salary to the solidarity fund. This is a powerful gesture of inestimable symbolic value.

“We gladly notify you that the churches across KwaZulu-Natal, are pledging R1 million to the relief emergency in our province. South Africa is in lockdown until the end of April in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This dramatic and yet critical step is having a very significant impact on the country, especially on the food security of a majority of the people,” said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Church Leaders Group and chairperson of the KZN Inter Religious Council.

As a part of their joint-strategy, churches will be rolling out cash vouchers across 11 districts through their fundraising efforts. Other elements of their provincial plan include: communications and awareness; pastoral care and advocacy around social and economic vulnerability.

All of this is under-girded by an inter-denominal space for prayer and reflections on the life-affirming theology of care in the face of the pandemic, they said.

They have partnered with the SA Council of Churches and Intellimali, a well-established SMS voucher service provider, to develop a solution that sends vouchers via SMS to beneficiaries identified by local community leaders and church networks.

These vouchers can be used at any Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Usave, Checkers or Boxer stores, to purchas e food and other essential items. With operational costs funded by a designated grant, and Intellimali supplying the system at cost, this solution is extremely cost effective with 99% of funds going directly to the beneficiary.

Church leaders said they supported the president’s call for those who had resources to make a similar contribution urgently, stating “now is the time for sacrifice, and for self-sacrificing”.

The KZN Covid-19: Churches Respond website has further details about their relief work and how to contribute to this. /www.covid19response. co.za/.