A food bank located in Gauteng allegedly has 5 600 food parcels in its warehouse ready to be handed out to struggling families but has not received the necessary funding from the Gauteng Department of Social Development to distribute them. In the meantime, struggling families go hungry while the food goes to waste.
Gauteng Department of Social Development stops funding
The purpose of food banks is to address the immediate needs of vulnerable people living in extreme poverty.
Private companies that have contracts with the Department used to supply food parcels to the Carroll Shaw Memorial Food Bank near Krugersdorp. The food bank is a non-profit organisation that relied on funding from the Department of Social Development to manage its expenses such as distribution, warehouse space, fuel, and employee salaries.
However, after the Department funded the organisation since 2009, it withdrew its funding in April 2024, as reported by GroundUp.
Since then, the food bank’s debt has been accumulating and it now owes R500 000 in rent. Additionally, its staff members have also not been paid since then.
Suppliers continued providing food
The organisation has continued to receive food parcels from suppliers. It received 5 000 parcels of non-perishables in June 2024 and 2 000 units of fresh vegetables the following month.
After the Department withdrew funds, the food bank managed to distribute 2 000 food parcels in April 2024 using its own funds. Although the Department assisted in the distribution of another 2 000 food parcels in May 2024 by providing vehicles for the distribution, that was the last of the support.
Why was the funding stopped?
The funding withdrawal was a result of a forensic audit led by the former social development MEC Mbali Hlophe. The findings of the audit generally questioned the organisation’s allocation of funds and queried financial statements.
Interestingly, there is also a Johannesburg food bank, Buyisa Ubuntu, which is the largest food bank in the Gauteng province. The Believers Care Society manages it on behalf of the Gauteng Department of Social Development. Surprisingly, however, there is almost no information on the Gauteng Provincial Government’s website under the ‘Food bank’ section. Also, absolutely no available services appear. This lack of information leads one to wonder if these food banks are actually operational.
Are food banks the best way to assist with hunger in South Africa?
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