AfriForum started a campaign today to donate hand sanitiser and masks to old-age homes and personnel working in safety, emergency and medical services, as well as vulnerable people who don’t have adequate protection against contracting COVID-19. The campaign kicked off with the handing over of more than 1 000 bottles hand sanitiser to the Tshwane Metro Police.

This campaign enables the public to make a monetary contribution which will be used by AfriForum to provide old-age homes and emergency and medical personnel with masks and hand sanitiser.

AfriForum also directed a letter to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, indicating that the civil rights organisation is willing to work with any role players to fight the common enemy – COVID-19. “AfriForum remains dedicated to go ahead with this campaign to help protect those on the front lines against being infected with the coronavirus. It is important that emergency and medical workers have sufficient protective equipment because they interact with the public – it is therefore for their own safety as well as that of the community,” says Ian Cameron, Head of Community Safety at AfriForum.

“Following AfriForum’s recent donation of hand sanitiser to the police, the organisation has been inundated with requests for hand sanitisers and masks. We received requests from members of the police, medical services and other emergency services all over the country. This is despite SAPS commanders refusing AfriForum’s donation of hand sanitiser that was donated to several police stations across Gauteng. The donations were made for this very reason – thousands of police officers indicated they weren’t sufficiently equipped against the virus,” says Cameron.

According to dr. Eugene Brink, Manager for Health at AfriForum, it’s especially workers responsible for emergency and medical services who are concerned about having to deliver essential services to the public without adequate protection.

“As civil rights organisation, AfriForum is determined to assist in providing much-needed protection to emergency workers to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly will also be helped,” says Brink.

Members of the public who want to make a R10 contribution to the campaign to donate hand sanitiser and masks to old-age homes and emergency workers can SMS the word “Corona” to 38310.

Issued by AfriForum