Johannesburg - Several organisations and political parties have voiced concerns about the disruption of school nutrition in KwaZulu Natal which has left thousands of learners without food.
The National Teachers Union (Natu) has denounced the provincial Department of Education for its failure to deliver food to schools.
About 5 400 schools in KwaZulu-Natal, most of which are rural and township-located (Quintiles 1–3), benefit from the National School Nutrition Programme. For many poverty stricken children this is their only meal for the day.
It’s emerged that since the reopening of schools, more than 2 million pupils in the province have been deprived of food and subjected to harsh learning conditions.
As a result, principals have had to dismiss learners, close schools prematurely, and disrupt normal teaching and learning programmes.
"We urge the Department to resolve the pandemonium on school nutrition expeditiously. This act is not only thoughtless but annuls many efforts undertaken to eradicate poverty in our communities. Pupils need to eat for them to concentrate on their studies. They must reinstate the original procedure for food and allocate one supplier to each school,"said Natu president Sibusiso Malinga.
The IFP in the KZN Legislature has questioned the lack of action by KZN Premier, Nomusa Dube Ncube, following multiple reports of learners being left to starve by the KZN Department of Education.
"Learners are going hungry in many districts due to the incompetence of the KZN MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, as suppliers allegedly failed to deliver food to schools," the IFP said.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education acknowledged the glitches in the delivery of food to some schools that are beneficiaries of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
"After getting a report on Wednesday, the MEC for Education, Ms. Mbali Frazer, directed the Department's top management to swiftly engage the affected districts and stakeholders in order to understand the root causes of the challenges and ascertain their extent."
"It was with shock and regret that the department discovered that there were logistical challenges on the part of the main service provider. This unfortunate situation currently faced by schools, communities, and service providers is deeply regretted."
"The Department and the affected service provider have been working around the clock to resolve these challenges. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education wishes to reaffirm its commitment to providing all its 5400 schools with nutritious meals as expected."
The Star