LOOTERS LEAVE 1 200 OVCS WITHOUT FOOD

MBABANE – About 1 200 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) are without food after protesters looted food, household appliances and later vandalised three care centres in the capital city.

The centres are; Nkwalini Social and Health Centre, Msunduza Care Centre and Mahwalala Care Centre. The care point centres are under the Mbabane Municipal Council. During a visit to the Nkwalini Social and Health Centre, the guardhouse was found gutted by fire caused by the protesters. This is the depot where food is stored before it is distributed to the other centres. The items that were stolen in the care centre were a stove, refrigerator and pots. Stolen food items included rice, meat and vegetables.
Most windows were broken and it was suspected that the protestors used them to gain entry into the building.  

Meals

Fikile Mathunjwa, the overseer of the care centre, revealed that the children got two meals from Monday to Friday. However, she said they had currently stopped preparing meals since the food and pots were stolen. Mathunjwa disclosed that food amounting to about E47 000 was stolen by the looters on Tuesday night. She said this included one tonne of rice, which is donated monthly by Indonesia Consul His Excellency Kareem Ashraf. The overseer mentioned that the consul had recently delivered the rice.
“This is saddening because the children are asking when they will be coming to receive their meals, to which I have no answers,” said Mathunjwa. She appreciated the Ashraf for offering his help at a time of dire need.

Meanwhile, Ashraf came to the rescue of the children’s plight by pledging a donation of toilet paper and rice. He expressed his sympathy for the children, whom he said were innocent and should not have been affected by the violent protests. He said whatever the differences were, the parties involved needed to sort them out peacefully. “These are innocent souls who have nothing to do with the ongoing friction and I would like to ask the looters to stay away from orphanages and old-aged homes,” he said. Ashraf said what had happened at the centres was not acceptable and asked for calm. Mbabane Municipal Council CEO Gideon Mhlongo could not be reached

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