Fund goals
The stated goals of the fund:
⦁ Prevention – preventing the spread of the virus and reduce rates of infection
⦁ Detection – early detection of the virus
⦁ Care – medical intervention and hospitalisation
⦁ Support – those who have been most affected.
In a nutshell, the focus of the fund is on prevention and humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable in society. It has not been set up to assist SMME’s.
Other charitable initiatives
Earlier in the pandemic South Africa’s wealthiest families set aside large sums to assist those less fortunate. The Rupert and Oppenheimer families and the Motsepe foundation each set aside a R1 billion rand to help others. The families will administer the funds themselves.
The Rupert and Oppenheimer funds are earmarked for business assistance with the stated aim of protecting employment. The Motsepe funds will be used for sanitisers, disinfectants, water tanks and boreholes in communities that lack clean running water.
Naspers also donated R1.5 billion at the beginning of the month. A third will go to the Solidarity fund and the rest will be used to procure medical supplies and PPE from China.
South Africans are generous people as those who follow the #ImStaying movement will vouch. Even those who don’t have much themselves are reaching out to the vulnerable, the poor and the homeless. For however frustrating we find the lockdown, we wake each day knowing how many people are in a worse position than we are. If you can help, support the Solidarity fund.