Eastern Cape Social Development MEC Bukiwe Fanta on Friday received over a 1000 food and sanitary hampers on behalf of the flood victims who affected by devastating storms in Nelson Mandela Bay in June.
Representatives of the Latter-day Saints Church handed the hampers over at the South African Defence Force Base in Gqeberha.
Fanta, Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Gary van Niekerk and ward councillors expressed their gratitude to the church for their contribution to restoring livelihoods.
"The partnership with the church is not new but one that was formed over the years and helps the government in situations like these."
Fanta also emphasised that the hampers will reach their intended recipients.
"We are a proud department with dedicated social workers on the ground who have already put together lists of beneficiaries in all the affected areas so that corruption does not take place."
She said ward councillors of the affected areas will receive hampers, which they will distribute in their respective communities.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, van Niekerk said much work had been done to ensure the victims return to normality as soon as possible.
He said work on the impacted roads, especially in Kariega, has commenced.
According to the mayor, of the hundreds of families that were displaced, some of them were housed temporarily in churches, student accommodations and B&Bs.
Council speaker Eugene Johnson also set the record straight on the supposed "eviction" of destitute families.
"Those people were not evicted, however, the budget from the Department of Human Settlements stipulated that they could only be accommodated for a month so, last Friday and Saturday, we asked those people to go back to their homes while we looked at ways in which we can accommodate them."
