Community members say that residents who are dependent on the soup kitchen for their daily meals have been left in the lurch.
THE LESEDI soup kitchen in Florianville has been unable to operate after the chairperson resigned and allegedly left with the bank cards.
Community members said that residents who were dependent on the soup kitchen for their daily meals had been left in the lurch.
“The former chairperson refused to hand over the bank cards and property belonging (to the soup kitchen) when he resigned. As a result, staff have not been paid for the past three months and the kitchen is not able to purchase ingredients or manage its operating expenses. People in the area do not have access to nutritious meals.”
It was stated that a new board had been appointed, but it had not been able to sort out the finance issues.
The spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Social Development, Gamiem Abrahams, said that they had advised the new board to lay criminal charges against the former chairperson.
“The issues raised are internal matters that must be sorted out by the new board. All property belonging to the soup kitchen should be returned as the former chairperson is no longer a member of the board. Nor should he have access to the bank account of the soup kitchen,” said Abrahams.
He stated that the financial statements submitted to the department were sound.
“The department has met with the new board and has noted that there are a number of soup kitchens that are operating in the area that in the interim can ensure that no one goes hungry. We also have not received any reports of families or households that have been left destitute,” added Abrahams.
