NATIONAL NEWS - Since a coalition of hunger relief organisations launched a petition on 7 February to protest the donation of R50 million by the Department of International Relations (DIRCO) towards fighting hunger in Cuba, close to 15 000 people have joined the campaign.
What started as a group of 60+ organisations standing together to object against the travesty and irony of millions of rands exiting South Africa while more of our own people suffer the injustices of hunger every day, has grown into a campaign that has captured the hearts and minds of thousands of South Africans.
This collaborative initiative by individuals and organisations who are faced every day with the ravages of hunger in communities across our beautiful country has attracted widespread media interest, with coverage on most major national news media platforms.
Petition to be handed to DIRCO
On Thursday, 24 February at 10:00, the coalition of 60 organisations, representing the 15 000+ signatories of the petition and thousands more hungry people, will be delivering it to DIRCO in Tshwane.
The coalition has advised DIRCO of their intentions, and a response was received via email on Thursday, 17 February from Dr Sheldon Moulton, Director: Office of the Director-General, stating, “Many thanks for your message, which I have referred to the relevant senior managers for urgent attention. I or someone else will revert shortly concerning your request.
What is the Coalition calling for?
- To DIRCO – Minister Naledi Pandor and Deputy Minister Alvin Botes – halt the donation of R50 million to Cuba and reallocate it towards an urgent, independent investigation into immediately actionable solutions to address the systemic causes of hunger.
- To President Cyril Ramaphosa – treat hunger as the pandemic it is. Attack the problem at the root by funding an independent commission of action-orientated experts who have the research-based insights into the problems and can work towards implementing solutions to address the hunger pandemic. Your statement in your State of the Nation Address indicates your intention to do so – now take action.
- To the Department of Social Development – Minister Lindiwe Zulu – rise to the call of thousands of South Africans who have signed the petition, and the hundreds of thousands of voiceless hungry people across the country – and take action. Champion the cause of the voiceless and leave a legacy of ensuring that children are not stunted and malnourished, instead of leaving the legacy of childhood malnutrition that will be felt in generations to come.
Comparison of hunger statistics – Cuba vs South Africa
When comparing the hunger statistics in the two countries, the facts provide evidence of the irony of the R50 million hunger relief donation to Cuba:
According to the Global Hunger Index, Cuba has consistently scored “low” (less than 5) on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) since 2005. A GHI score of <5 indicates that less than 10% of the population suffers from hunger, calculated by national rates of undernourishment, child wasting and stunting and child mortality. Hunger in Cuba has stabilised at 2.50% since 2002. South Africa is ranked 60th with a score of 12.9, which indicates a level of hunger that is “moderate”.
- According to worldhunger.io, 52.31% of South Africa’s population (30,896,447 out of 59,062,442) is food insecure. Meanwhile, 19.98% of Cuba (2,260,286 out of 11,311,641) faces food insecurity.
NPOs stand together
The coalition of organisations who will be delivering the petition to Government on Thursday and representing the 15,000+ petition signatories range from community-based soup kitchens to large national organisations.
They are (in alphabetical order): Army of Yahweh, 4Given, African Reclaimers Organisation Solidarity (ARO), Apostolic Faith Mission (Cosmo City), Arukah House of Restoration, BELACAAS NPC 2021/680383/08, Bertams Inner City Farm, Boikanyo The Dion Herson Foundation, Charity Fusion, Chefs with Compassion, CK Foundation, Divine Saints Apostles Church, Esperanca Foundation, Fingertips of Africa, FoodForward South Africa, Food not Bombs, Fortress of Refuge, Fountain of Youth Entrepreneurs Project, Harvesting Heritage, Hope of the Hopeless, Ingelosi House, Jobs of Faith, Khayalethu Care Centre, Ladles of Love, Lady on a Mission, Life of God Ministries - The Mission Church, Locked Out, Londani Lushaka, Makers Valley Partnership, Minanawe Community Care Partners, MTM Hope Giver Foundation, Mum Touching Lives , Needy Kids ECD Centre, Nellie George Foundation, New Life Centre for Girls, NOSH Food Rescue, OJC Development Centre, One Small Act of Kindness, Rainbow Children's Village, Regomoditswe Children's Home, RySky Foundation, Saeed Foundation NPO, Service in Motion (S.I.M.), Sizanani Outreach Care Centre NPO, Sizo Community Restoration Project, Soli Deo Gloria Care Centre, Souper Troopers, Swaragano, Sweet Smell From Heaven Soup Kitchen, Teddy Bear Foundation, The Angel Network, The Ithemba project, ThembiT Foundation, Thusanang Diamela Community Project, Tshepang Care Centre, Union of Jewish Women, Up Country Feeding Hands -, Vanessa's Soup Kitchen, W.A.S. Foundation, Western Cape Community Care.
Coalition appeals to the public
The coalition is calling on the public to SIGN THE PETITION and to share it on their social media platforms using the hashtag #DIRCOFeedSAFirst. They are inviting members of the public who would like to be present for the handover to join them at the DIRCO office to add to the strength of the appeal.
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