Mon Nov 20 07:25:00 UTC 2017
Five trucks left the Shoprite Group’s distribution centre in Centurion on Friday morning to collect fodder and transport it to the Northern Cape, where the worst drought conditions in a century are killing off livestock and threatening farmers’ and farm workers’ livelihoods.
Three trucks arrived in Garies on Saturday and another three in the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape on Sunday, providing much needed relief to these communities.
Shoprite has heeded the calls from struggling farmers, committing hundreds of thousands of rands on transport costs, goods and other assistance to those affected by the drought.
As dams, like those in Beaufort West, run dry, leaving communities to rely on groundwater and treated sewage, communities are increasingly seeking help.
The Group’s ongoing drought-relief efforts include:
Launching the Smart Water Meter Challenge and sponsoring the installation of 100 meters at Cape Town’s top 100 water-consuming schools
Sending its Shoprite Mobile Soup Kitchens to serve in disaster-stricken communities, as it is currently doing in Beaufort West
Ongoing support of 36 PlayPumps, which bring clean water to approximately 350 000 to 400 000 people across South Africa on a daily basis
Launching its in-store Disaster Relief Fund, which, since inception, has raised almost almost R1.5 million