The city residents are urged to embrace the mayoral flagship programme on food resilience.
The programme, which was inaugurated in 2012, eradicates poverty, reduces hunger and improves nutrition in households. Nomsa Nkosi, a city official, said the initiative was informed by research which revealed that 42 percent of the city’s residents spent three days a week without food. She stated that the programme was designed to be holistic and participatory and drew from best practice methods and models elsewhere.
Public participation she said, would encourage ownership and sustainability of the different programme components and projects. They include the development of backyard and roof top gardens, also on window seals and other usually ignored small spaces. In some areas, there already was urban agriculture in larger council spaces which the residents identified and the city assisted to develop them using four tractors and 21 farming implements set aside specifically for the programme.
Nkosi added that the programme included the promotion of healthy lifestyles by discouraging the consumption of junk food in order to reduce risks of non-communicable diseases as well as encouraging regular exercise and health screening.
The mayor said she has also engaged the partnership of stakeholders in the food and retail industry and will sign a pledge with major restaurants for them to also have healthy food products on their menu.
Other initiatives include workshops with informal traders to encourage them to produce healthy food products. “A weight loss competition linked to these products will be conducted, with winners receiving prizes.”
Other targeted areas she said were early childhood and development centres, the workplace and faith-based and traditional healers.
“The centres will be encouraged to adhere to approved nutritious meals for the children and in the workplace. Employers will be urged to encourage regular exercise by workers to reduce obesity and diet-related illnesses. The faith-based and traditional healers’ organisations will be encouraged to advise their clients to eat before treatment to avoid collapsing or contracting other non-communicable diseases.”
The other programme component is on regular fitness exercise through the GoJozi healthy lifestyle, open street fairs and weight loss activities. “This is voluntary participation of residents in organised events including walking and running, cycling and aerobics, and dietary advice from nutritionists and medical professionals,” she concluded.
Details: City of Joburg; 011 492 7160.
