The Solidarity Fund announced on March 30 that it would be using a portion of the R500-million raised during its first week of operations to facilitate the emergency procurement of the personal protective equipment – including five-million face masks – that was urgently required by public and private healthcare practitioners at the frontline of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Fund chairperson Gloria Serobe, who is also Wiphold founder and executive director, reported during a briefing that the fund would initially prioritise the provision of finance for initiatives aimed at augmenting the South African government’s health response.
