Mary Oppenheimer, the heiress of one of South Africa’s richest families, has donated R1 billion towards South Africa’s solidarity fund.
Mary Oppenheimer donates R1 billion in COVID-19 fight
In a statement, Mary Oppenheimer confirmed that she and her daughters have funnelled the money towards “the fight against COVID-19 (coronavirus) in South Africa.”
“Under the wise leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africans are following the government’s directives to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We realise, however, that until this pandemic passes, our country will experience enormous difficulties and hardships,” the statement read.
It is important to note that this Oppenheimer donation is separate from the initial R1 billion contribution made by her brother Nicky, as well as the Rupert family.
What is the solidarity fund?
Ramaphosa, who chairs the national command council (NCC), started the solidarity fund to attract resources that assist in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and flattening the curve of infections.
The solidarity fund will also assist with
- detecting and understanding the magnitude of the disease;
- caring for those in hospital or medical care; and
- supporting those whose lives have been disrupted by the pandemic.
Oppenheimer noted that she and her daughters thought long and hard about the decision and the solidarity fund’s purpose aligned with their contributions.
“We are grateful for all the other efforts, small and large, that South Africans are making to help our country through this difficult time. We are especially proud of my brother Nicky and his family’s patriotism in launching a separate initiative, The South African Future Trust (SAFT) last week,” she wrote.
What is the latest COVID-19 infection tally in South Africa?
According to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), there are 1 353 known cases of COVID-19. The pathogen has claimed five lives in South Africa, with 41 072 tests conducted.