The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will escort trucks carrying four and a half thousand good quality blankets provided by the Anglican Church, as well as 37 tons of maize, beans and oil donated by other churches, to Zimbabweans displaced by Operation Murambatsvina ('Drive Out Trash') today Monday 1st August.
Once in Zimbabwe this aid will be distributed to those most in need, in and around Mutare, Bulawayo and Harare - from church halls and in resettlement camps - by the relief arm of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches: Christian Care. The South African Embassy in Zimbabwe will assist to make sure that the aid gets to the appropriate distribution points.
The trucks will depart from Khotso House, 25 Anderson Street, Johannesburg today at lunchtime. Before departure, they will be blessed by church leaders who recently visited Zimbabwe to assess the situation. These include Anglican Archbishop, Njongonkulu Ndungane, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ivan Abrahams, Pastor Ray McCauley of the Rhema Church and Dr Molefe Tsele, general secretary of the SA Council of Churches (SACC).
This consignment of aid forms part of the SACC's 'Operation Hope for Zimbabwe' which has already raised R350,000.00. It is hoped that this amount will be increased, following an appeal on Sunday [31/07] to churches across South Africa.
The operation hopes to work in future with international aid agencies to further assist the homeless and hungry in Zimbabwe.
For further information, please phone Penny Lorimer, Media Liaison for Archbishop Ndungane, on +27 (0)82 894