Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) Premier David Makhura says the food security intervention was one of the most successful in responding to the plight brought by COVID-19 pandemic in the province.
He said between April and December 2020, the Gauteng Department of Social Development provided more than 650 856 households with food relief, reaching over 3.2 million people.
Speaking in a hybrid Sitting of the Legislature, in adherence to current lockdown regulations to minimise the spread of Covid-19, Premier Makhura said "This is the biggest food security effort ever undertaken by the government. The private sector and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) also supported an additional 1 million people in Gauteng."
"The COVID-19 income relief grant for the unemployed reached more than 600 000 unemployed people in the province."
"A total of 2 344 homeless people were provided with shelter, three meals daily plus psychosocial support, medical assessments, and treatment for substance abuse."
"More than 1,3 million girl children have benefited from the dignity pack programme," said Makhura.
He added that going forward, GPG will intensify work on combatting urban poverty, hunger and homelessness in the province.
"We are supporting the creation of community and household food gardens, to ensure that the 3 million food insecure people participate in growing food for themselves so that no one goes to bed hungry," concluded Makhura.
The Gauteng Department of Social Development has continued to support destitute families of all races with food parcels as part of its provisional intervention programme to the needy during the pandemic, as guided by the GCR anti-poverty strategy.