Health workers around the country will receive a boost of critical medical supply, such as masks and face shields, to assist their efforts to combat COVID-19 in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, on behalf of government on Thursday, received a consignment of R1 billion worth of critical personal protective equipment (PPE), which was donated by global internet group, Naspers South Africa.
“Today, we received the consignment of some six million masks and shields donated by Naspers, and many more are still to come. We are truly grateful that we have corporations like Naspers and many others, who have decided they are going to lend a hand and assist our whole effort of fighting COVID-19.
“We are also grateful to China for continuing to supply these medical supplies that we so need and others will be coming,” said the President.
The handover took place at the Takealot Distribution Centre in Kempton Park, Gauteng.
The Naspers donation is a significant contribution to healthcare and to the partnership between government, the private sector and civil society at large in the fight against COVID-19.
Naspers procured the PPE and other medical supplies at great speed through its logistics and warehousing capability in Takealot and the group’s Tencent enterprise in the People’s Republic of China.
While visiting the Takealot Distribution Centre to receive the medical supplies, President Ramaphosa was taken through a state-of-the art, high-tech distribution process of the PPE to various parts of the country.
“I have also been very impressed with their logistical set up here, where they receive these millions of medical supplies and they are able to distribute them throughout the country in an orderly manner.
“This is really a great operation and we are thankful for the donation that the country has received from Naspers and facilitated also by China,” said the President.
Naspers’s overall aid in response to the pandemic in South Africa is R1.5 billion, consisting of R1 billion in PPE and R500 million to the Solidarity Fund. – SAnews.gov.za
