Germany is providing the Cape Town council with R100-million in Covid-19 funding to support more soup kitchens across the city as well as early childhood development centres.

In a statement, the German embassy in South Africa said the grant would also go towards developing local food gardens and stimulating the informal economy through the provision of food vouchers to be redeemed at local so-called spaza shops.

The money will help provide 25 000 food vouchers per month for a three-month period to early childhood development staff, learners and their families, as well as residents growing food gardens in their communities and soup kitchens in Hanover Park, Manenberg, Nyanga, Gugulethu and Khayelitsha.

The Cape Town council will work with non-governmental organisation Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade to ensure that the assistance is allocated to those most in need and that regular reports are provided to implementing partner KfW German Development Bank.

“The pandemic has terrible consequences for so many, all over the world, and here in South Africa,” German Ambassador Martin Schäfer said, referring to the coronavirus pandemic which has seen a cumulative 671 669 people infected in South Africa since March, the 10th highest national tally in the world.

“This is about solidarity with the most affected, to inspire hope and give comfort. And it is about strengthening local communities and those who care for their families, friends and neighbours. In the spirit of Ubuntu, we want to contribute to the wave of solidarity.”

The Cape Town council has -- throughout a nationwide lockdown imposed from March 27 to contain transmissions -- been supporting soup kitchens which are providing warm meal to residents who have lost jobs and are unable to take care of their families, mayor Dan Plato said.

“Many of our residents still need assistance with food aid,” he added.

Since the beginning of the health crisis Germany has committed additional grants of of more than R350-million to South Africa towards the provision of personal protective equipment, laboratory material and additional temporary medical facilities in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng provinces.

Some of the money has gone towards upgrading hospitals and clinics, strengthening the provision of services by municipalities, preventing violence particularly involving adolescents, promoting health in schools, creating employment and supporting small -businesses.