Some Malabar residents say they’re still waiting for food parcels

Some Malabar residents say they are still not getting the food parcels they so desperately need to survive.

For more than a week, the residents, from extensions 5 and 6  — who joined a gathering at the Malabar community hall to express their grievances on Thursday last week —  say they have been waiting and wondering when their turn will come.

On Tuesday, a Malabar resident, who asked not to be named, said nothing had changed.

However, Sassa regional manager Bandile Maqetuka said people were making unfounded accusations and that families in the area had, in fact, been assisted.

Maqetuka said a ward-based approach had been used and that, in each of 10 wards in the northern areas,  72 families who met Sassa’s requirements had received parcels.

Ward councillor Sharlene Davids said on Tuesday that she was also doing all she could to help, even dipping into her own pocket to cook food for those in need.  

“I from my [own] money and other sponsors cook food for people and hand it out,” Davids said.

“People have been unhappy that I gave them food at night, but that’s when I can hand the food out.”

Last  week, Claremont Williams, 50,  who was among about 100 residents  who gathered outside the community hall, said:  “We want the councillor [Davids] to tell us where our food parcels are —  it’s now a month since the lockdown and we haven’t received food parcels, the residents are hungry.

“We’d rather die from the corona than from hunger. This councillor doesn’t even know the names of our street and I haven’t had food since March 26.”

However, Davids pointed out that it was not her responsibility to deliver food parcels — it was a Sassa function.

This was confirmed by Maqetuka.

Another Malabar resident, who attended last week’s protest, Sanjay Marriday, said they wanted to know how they could get food for the elderly and the needy.

Estelle Valentine, 41 from  Malabar extension 5, said at the time that desperation had driven people to the point of looking for food from garbage bags.

“Covid-19 won’t kill us — hunger will,” she said.