Mmusi Maimane, Chief activist of the One South Africa Movement, together with Proteas star Vernon Philander have joined hands to help vulnerable starving South Africans with braai wors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a recent press statement Maimane said that the Vernon Philander Foundation and a number of athletes are getting behind this because they believed that no South African should go hungry. The initiative seeks to source and distribute food and to particularly meet the needs of those impacted most by the lockdown.
“Our crucial focus has been that the greatest risk for Covid-19 is poverty. Poor people don’t have choices, aren’t eating easily and are living in congested spaces. Through bulk buying and through the generosity of many South Africans, we are able to procure food at the right pricing and we are able to distribute. We have already been able to put together meals for over 6 000 families which feeds those families for 14 days,” said Maimane.
Maimane says they are giving out meat to people in need and also selling it at a cheaper cost than the store price. This is also to ensure that the poor working people also have something to eat during the lockdown as many people have not returned to their jobs.
The movement wishes to partner with community organisations, NGOs, religious bodies and businesses to bring affordable meat products to disadvantaged communities. So far, the movement has secured braai wors which is a popular product and symbol of a shared South African culture.
In a pamphlet, the movement said braai wors was an āessential part of the cultureā but was missing from many food packs. They assumed this was because meat was often too pricey for many South Africans to buy.
Though food could be the necessary solution for now, the movement have noted with concern that this may be unsustainable in the long run. However the team has gone directly to suppliers to drive down the price of food, particularly meat.
“The fight against Covid-19 is a fight against poverty, that’s the only thing we must be doing. We want to maintain stability in disadvantaged communities by providing lower food prices during the crisis and beyond,” said Maimane.
