HOW TO APPLY FOR FOOD PARCELS
FAMILIES in need of food parcels can apply for government assistance in terms of its social relief of distress (SRD) programme during the Covid-19 disaster, which is being managed by the Department of Social Development.
The spokesperson for the KZN department of Social Development, Mhlaba Memela, said that to benefit from the SRD programme an applicant should be a South African citizen, a permanent resident or a refugee with insufficient means, who falls into one of the following categories:
• A family that has lost its loved one and cannot make ends meet – no maintenance or income is received and there is proof.
• The breadwinner of the family has died or is admitted to an institution funded by the state, and home circumstances have been assessed by a social worker.
• A person who is assessed medically unfit to undertake any remuneration or home circumstances assessed by the social worker.
• An individual or family awaiting for an approval of an application for funding or social grant.
• Live in areas affected by disaster as defined by the Disaster Management Act.
“The public can inform their community leaders or staff on the ground. The requests are then sent to social workers who assess the beneficiaries telephonically and make a request for SRD if they qualify. Also we are receiving requests via our call centre,” Memela said.
“In most cases we are delivering the next day. The delivery also depends on the number of SRD required,” he said.
Memela advised people not to listen to fake messages and people promising food.
“They need to contact their war rooms and councillors. Food is being co-ordinated through the OSS (Operation Sukuma Sakhe) structures,” he said. He added that the department was also working with the SA Social Security Agency, which was distributing food parcels.
The DSD call centre can be contacted at: 087 158 3000.
Sassa KZN contact details for food parcel applications: Sassa KZN Regional Office: 033 846 3400, Sassa KZN What’sApp: 071 607 1514.
| Lyse Comins