The DA has sent an urgent communication (view here) to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, in light of the looming collapse of the National School Nutrition programme (NSNP) in the province.
The crisis comes as a group of suppliers of the school feeding programme seek to halt services amid a funding debacle.
The DA has appealed to MEC Hlomuka to urgently secure national treasury funding in order to prevent the recurrance of last years collapse of this service at our schools.
In March, the DA warned of a looming crisis after 125 000 children were said to be excluded from NSNP funding. We also highlighted budget concerns and how this critical programme would be affected if finance was not secured. Unfortunately, our concerns have been validated.
The NSNP is designed to ensure that children are nourished during their time at school. For some, it is their only meal in the entire day. The cancellation of services by unpaid suppliers will have a dramatic effect on the ability of KZN’s children to learn and their hunger will certainly affect their ability to learn and perform well in the classroom.
A 2022 University of Cape Town (UCT) study by Children Count showed that KZN is home to 31% of South Africa’s children that experience hunger, a total figure of almost 1 million. KZN’s NSNP is an essential component in the fight against hunger and the stunting of growth amongst our children.
The DA will also call on MEC Hlomuka to convene an urgent Education Portfolio Committee to discuss a way forward. KZN’s government of provincial unity (GPU) must act now.