Challenges in the implementation of the City of Johannesburg’s Expanded Social Package in alleviating COVID-19 induced food insecurity

Africa's Public Service Delivery and Performance Review

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Challenges in the implementation of the City of Johannesburg’s Expanded Social Package in alleviating COVID-19 induced food insecurity
 
Creator Mazenda, Adrino Matjane, Koketso Maleka, Mahlomola S. Mushayanyama, Tinashe Masiya, Tyanai
 
Subject — food insecurity; expanded social package; City of Johannesburg; South Africa; COVID-19; unemployment insurance; poverty threshold.
Description Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has subjected the African urban population into abject poverty. Local government initiatives, such as the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) Expanded Social Package (ESP) ‘Siyasizana’ [we help each other], have been established to enhance food security amongst the city’s most vulnerable based on their level of income.Aim: This article analysed the extent to which the ESP was effective in addressing food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19.Setting: This research was descriptive and explanatory in nature that played an important role in obtaining an in-depth interpretation of the challenges of the implementation of ESP in mitigating food insecurity in the CoJ.Methods: This article utilised a qualitative case study design with the aid of existing literature, municipal documents and authoritative internet sources in order to analyse the extent to which the ESP is effective in addressing food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19.Results: This article found out that the ESP did not expressly address the COVID-19-induced food insecurity because of numerous challenges, namely awareness, stigmatisation, qualification and hidden costs.Conclusion: The CoJ should bring in private players to finance the programme as COVID-19 has increased the number of beneficiaries, relax the requirement for in-person application to allow for online registration, increase the ESP poverty threshold of R6100 to cater for those on the border of poverty and diversify its means testing to include other criteria such as Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which will provide much needed relief to those who might have lost income.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2021-04-30
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/apsdpr.v9i1.470
 
Source Africa’s Public Service Delivery & Performance Review; Vol 9, No 1 (2021); 8 pages 2310-2152 2310-2195
 
Language eng
 
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https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/470/763 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/470/762 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/470/764 https://apsdpr.org/index.php/apsdpr/article/view/470/761
 
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Rights Copyright (c) 2021 Adrino Mazenda, Koketso Matjane, Mahlomola S. Maleka, Tinashe Mushayanyama, Tyanai Masiya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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