Social Development
(a) How will the Community Economic Recovery Programme be rolled out in the various communities in the province, (b) how will the beneficiaries be identified, (c) what mechanism will be put in place to ensure that these vouchers (i) are not used for political purposes and/or (ii) are not distributed by political members, (d) what are the processes currently in place for communities to apply to her Department for these vouchers?
a) The Community Economic Recovery Programme referred to in the Hon Member’s question is implemented by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The Department of Social Development is involved in the plan insofar as it provides funding to the DG Murray Trust to supply vouchers to community kitchens.
b) The Department funding to DG Murray Trust is for the purpose of support to community-based kitchens in the form of cash vouchers which can be used at local shops to buy groceries and cook for beneficiaries requiring food relief.
c) i) Vouchers are given to community kitchens which already have a track record of cooking meals for the vulnerable people. The distribution and use thereof is monitored by the Department to ensure funds are accounted for and not misused in any way, politically or otherwise.
ii) Vouchers are distributed by the DG Murray Trust, which is an independent, non-partisan organisation. The Department of Social Development’s transfer payment agreement (the Department’s term for a funding contract) with the organisation includes a clause that prohibits the NGO from using the funding for political purposes or in any manner that would bring the Department of Social Development into disrepute.
d) Vouchers are not provided to individuals, but to Community Kitchens, which were asked to apply to be included in the project via the Western Cape Food Forum. The Forum communicated this opportunity to all 200 plus NGOs participating in the Forum. These community kitchens then use the vouchers to purchase food for the beneficiaries who need food relief in the respective community/communities where they operate.
