The Global MILCC Box

One such community leader is Pamela Silwana, who is part of a collective action network (CAN) team to mobilise resources. These networks have formed in more than 70 Cape Town suburbs. An unemployed mom, Silwana began working for Gugulethu’s CAN team, Cape Town Together, a huge neighbourhood organising effort designed to keep the people of Cape Town safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 21 days of lockdown impacted many people, especially those who were unemployed; there are over 10 million people unemployed as of now. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan was to give money to business, employees, and informal business but he seemed to not address the unemployed. A Solidarity Fund would cover “disruptions” but there was no emergency plan for food security.

Silwana joined the Cape Town Together project where the 2,000 members and over 100 volunteers across the Cape Flats have joined local CANs or are setting them up. Less financially resourced CANs were supported by distant CANs in wealthier parts of town; phone data was sent to keep communication intact, fake news was corrected, and soaps and detergents were brought in large quantities and handwashing stations were created.

On 24 March, Silwana filled out the sign-on form to Cape Town Together and managed to share the CAN WhatsApp group onto their system to share the progress they had made. The ward councillor’s office did not understand why the CAN efforst were helpful and it was difficult for leaders like Silwana to get funding. Less than 36 hours before the lockdown, however, Sea Point CAN officially joined forces with the Gugulethu’s CAN team to help them with preparations. The idea was to pair the two neighborhoods throughout the 21 days and beyond to ensure that the homeless and vulnerable had better care. The Sea Point CAN also used their resources, financial and social, to assist Khayelitsha and Lavendar Hill.

Amongst the resources shared were litres of water, soapy water and water containers, starter pack documents that instructed how to make “tippy taps” that can be tipped with a foot so that hands do not make contact, and uber drivers to deliver water to the informal settlements. Safety and security in the city of Cape Town, as well as the Western Cape government, have also opened a channel of communication with the Gugulethu CAN.

The work done by the CAN teams has benefitted hundreds of people in Gugulethu and beyond. But there is still more work need to be done, and the government still needs to do their part in providing emergency assistance.

“While I struggle to sleep at night knowing that people around us have no food, being part of Cape Town Together is at least letting me dream of the possibility of a different future. It has shown me that parts of Cape Town distant from Gugulethu physically and financially can be my community too. Here is a lesson the president will hopefully one day learn: while enormous challenges like this virus and our history have demanded that we live at a physical distance, they can only be overcome by standing together.”