MEC Boitumelo Moiloa says a total of 2790 calls asking, among other things for food parcels, were recorded last week since the extension of the national lockdown due to the coronavirus. 

She says these calls were made to the regional call centre; and of these numbers, 382 calls were from the Ngaka Modiri Molema district. Departmental spokesperson, Petrus Siko, tells OFM News that Social Development staff and Sassa officials are manning the regional call centre jointly under one roof. 

Siko adds that calls are expected to increase from today. On Sunday the Department refuted claims about an alleged food parcel scandal in the province. 

MEC Moiloa said there is no truth to allegations that food parcels have allegedly been locked in a storeroom in Matlosana, awaiting her to deliver them in person for the purposes of media coverage.

Moiloa challenged the DA to produce substantive evidence of any corruption over the distribution of these food parcels in various communities in the province. 

The DA's Gavin Edwards in the province said they have been informed that a company belonging to the former MEC of the department has been awarded the rights to distribute food parcels in Kagisano Molopo. Watson further said it is alleged that the distributors in Khuma, near Klerksdorp, help themselves to some items from the packages before distributing the leftovers to the community.

At least 580 000 people have been screened for the coronavirus in the province. So far 24 people have been confirmed to have contracted the covid-19 in the province while 13 recovered from the virus. The provincial Health Department said 489 tests have been conducted and 390 turned out negative. 

The department further said that 70 tests results are pending and only one person has been hospitalized due to the Covi-19 and there has not been reported deaths. So far the Bojanala district municipality which includes Rustenburg has 16 cases out of 24 making it the most district with more cases of Covid-19. 

Premier, Job Mokgoro, will on Monday continue with a massive screening of people for the Coronavirus. Mokgoro will today oversee the screening process to visit the area of Danville in Mahikeng which has also recorded 2 cases of Covid-19.

OFM News