EXCLUSIVE: Shelter takes government to court for right to feed poor
Cradle of Hope shelter takes the government to court for the right to continue providing food to the homeless
The Krugersdorp-based shelter Cradle of Hope is taking the astounding step of taking the government to court to win back the right to hand out food to hungry South Africans.It’s a sign of how the lockdown regulations, which started with the sound intention of reducing Covid-19 infections, have morphed into something farcical in the hands of petty or power-drunk officials."It’s not about the Cradle of Hope — the country is facing a humanitarian crisis, and we’re being prevented from feeding starving people, including children, who come to us every day looking for food," CEO Melodie van Brakel told the FM.Though the shelter was set up 11 years ago for vulnerable women and children, for the past four years it has also been providing sandwiches for a growing number of people, including the homeless. Since the lockdown, that has swollen to 600 people a day — until the lockdown regulations said she had to stop.Now Van Brakel says she’s briefed lawyers, and hopes to get to court within two...
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