The absolutely bizarre list of what clothes are “allowed” to be sold is distracting, but please apply your outrage to this. https://ewn.co.za/2020/05/12/dept-of-social-development-to-tighten-screws-on-distributing-food-parcels

These measures affect thousands of people who have been providing food to vulnerable people for years, including well-established, responsibly run charities who follow careful distribution models that threaten no one (and certainly harm no one).

These feeding schemes have been set up across the country in response to demand, and while there is a need to protect recipients of food through control measures, the latest developments effectively leave thousands of people without food they rely on.

This is just one organisation’s story this morning. There are so, so many who will be having the same thing, and so many people who will suddenly find themselves stranded without food aid they desperately need.

For clarity: control measures are important. Health and safety measures are a crucial part of food distribution at ANY time.

Insisting that people change their working models to providing dry maize meal to people without the means to cook it is stupid. It is cruel.