South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the alleged theft of food packages meant to cushion the poor from hunger during the coronavirus pandemic.

The president said the reports were “disturbing and disgusting” adding that the individuals involved in the hoarding, selling or diverting of food aid would be dealt with “harshly”.

“Over the past three weeks, we have been confronted with distressing images of desperate people clamouring for food parcels at distribution centres and of community protests against food shortages,” the president wrote in his weekly bulletin.

President Ramaphosa also said the government would increase welfare provision to the poor who live “below the poverty line” but did not specify how that would be done.

Economists and labour unions in the country have been in the past quoted by local media asking for increased social grants.