Gauteng’s centralised food bank programme is failing, leaving thousands of vulnerable families without desperately needed food parcels. In a statement issued yesterday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said the provincial Department of Social Development could no longer distribute supplies from its central warehouse, a situation, the DA stressed, that marks the effective shutdown of the entire food relief scheme.

According to the DA, this failure is the direct result of chronic mismanagement, procurement failures, and warehouse bottlenecks that have plagued the centralised model from inception. “This is a disaster that could have been avoided,” the DA stated, calling for a return to decentralised, community-based food distribution that can withstand administrative or political disruptions.

The DA’s statement drew attention to oversight documents revealing that just 17% of the department’s R18 million food bank budget was spent in the 2023/24 financial year. As a result many families were left without assistance while stockpiles languished in storage.

The party has demanded urgent legislative oversight, urging the provincial legislature to summon Social Development officials to account for the collapse and to present a concrete emergency plan. The DA says the food bank problem is an example of failed welfare management and underscores the need for immediate reforms to safeguard the poor from further harm.