Complaints have been raised over the distribution of senior citizen food vouchers to needy elderly residents by eThekwini Municipality, with some saying the process has not been fair or transparent.
Some councillors in the municipality described how the process had unfolded as a mess. The issue was initially raised by opposition parties with some requesting that vouchers be allocated to ward councillors and proportional representative councillors as they feared there would not be fair distribution.
They alleged that ward councillors often used the vouchers as a campaigning or electioneering tool, and handed over vouchers to their supporters and members of their party.
However, speaker Thabani Nyawose said last week that it was decided the food vouchers would be distributed to the 111 ward councillors.
There are 500 vouchers per ward in contrast to the thousands of residents in each ward. They have a value of around R600 and are supposed to be given to the most vulnerable members of the elderly population.
In one ward, it has been alleged that elderly residents had to camp outside the councillor’s offices in an attempt to get answers about whether they would benefit from the programme.
One community member, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, told The Mercury of the struggle by the elderly to get answers from their ward councillor.
“Since Monday the councillor has not been in his office. His office has been closed. We went on Tuesday with the residents in need of the vouchers and he was still not there, but we learnt that he was delivering the vouchers in the evening to some families.”
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said there have been complaints in many areas, and elderly people had even protested in one of the wards.
“There are many areas where there are complaints. Some councillors are using this as a campaign tool. One councillor said to me they are giving them to the people that are affiliated with their party, which is wrong because once you have been elected, you are the leader of all the community members in the award.
“In one ward, the elderly protested and asked me what recourse was available, and I informed them that the matter of a councillor could be reported to the speaker’s office. And the speaker will take action,” he said.
“I have told the IFP ward councillors to not politicise the issue as that could leave out those who are in real need,” the IFP leader added.
Action SA’s Zwakele Mncwango said: “I think this mess is actually deliberate because we have been having the same problem for many years. Until today there is no clear formula on distribution because the gap is that these are given to ward councillors.
“Some ward councillors have no ethical value. They decide to give it to their friends, families and comrades,” he said.
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa said from what he heard the process had been chaotic, especially because of the limited number of vouchers per ward compared to the demand.
“No DA councillor is biased. The problem is that the municipality only gives 500 vouchers per ward and there are thousands of deserving senior citizens in each ward,” said Mthethwa.
The mayor’s office was contacted for comment and had not responded by the time of going to print on Wednesday.
The Mercury