Solidarity Fund to wind down operations by September

The fund was launched in 2020 as part of government’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has claimed close to 100 000 lives in South Africa and left millions more without any means to earn an income. 

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, COO Nozipho Sangweni says the shutting down of the fund will be done in a phased manner.

Sangweni adds that the fund will be reactivated if the need arises. 

“To wrap up our current solidarity fund activities, the following will happen: No further funding raising will take place. No new interventions or applications for funding will be considered; remaining funds will be allocated to proposals that are already in the system." 

READ: Putin would like Ukraine conflict to end, says Ramaphosa

“The discipline and rigour of maintaining high impact low-cost implementation will remain. The fund will retain a minimum balance of R15 million to enable it to hit the ground running to enable it for another calamity.” 

To date, the Solidarity Fund has raised R3.4 billion and disbursed R2.3 billion to various Health entities around the country. 

A total of R429 million has been allocated for humanitarian relief.

This includes money disbursed to mitigate the impact of the 2021 unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.