R1 billion for ‘rotten food’ in Gauteng schools

The quality of food in Gauteng schools has come into question after the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng inspected several schools in the province.

The party found that some schools were not receiving food deliveries. Where deliveries were made, the food quality was poor.

DA shadow MEC for Education Sergio Isa Dos Santos visited several schools in Gauteng. He said some schools had complained about receiving rotten food.

The government’s school nutrition programme provides both breakfast and lunch for learners. The menu consists of tinned fish, beans, chicken livers and samp or pap.

“In most schools, officials complained about delays in food delivery. Some schools received no food at all. They also raised concerns about the quality and quantity of the food. Many schools reported that they had received rotten supplies,” he said.

R1 billion feeding scheme tender scandal

Dos Santos said the controversy surrounding a R1 billion tender under dispute caused the problems with the feeding scheme in Gauteng schools.

The tender was recently allocated to about 47 companies. The awarding of the tender prejudiced other bidders, who are now challenging it.

“In the latest development, a losing bidder challenged the Gauteng Department of Education after it admitted it had not followed the proper procurement process in awarding the R1 billion tender.”

Dos Santos stated that poor food quality and delivery issues disadvantaged learners from low-income families who couldn’t afford lunch.

“It’s unacceptable that learners are now the victims of this tender battle. The department admitted it was issued without following proper procurement procedures. Now learners are being denied access to food, which has severe effects on their learning ability,” he said.

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Department spokesperson denies claims

In July the City Press newspaper reported problems with food delivery in some Gauteng schools.

However, the department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona denied this.

“According to information at our disposal, we can confirm that learners from all schools continued to receive their meals from Tuesday, 9 July 2024, when schools re-opened. He told the paper, “Accordingly, we always ensure that schools safely store surplus food to mitigate possible rollout delays in the new term.”

The Citizen reached out to the Gauteng Education Department for comment.

* The article will be updated as soon comment is received.