MEC Frazer under pressure to restore feeding scheme supplies

As the school food programme crisis deepens, threatening to become a political hot potato for education MEC Mbali Frazer, the DA on Monday resolved to give the MEC “space” to solve the problem.

Pupils in some of the province’s schools have since last week been attending classes on empty stomachs after food supplies were stopped, for reasons yet to be outlined by Frazer.

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The DA, which earlier called on Frazer to immediately restore food supplies to schools, yesterday toned down its approach, after what the party’s provincial spokesperson on education, Imran Keeka, described as an undertaking by the MEC that supplies were being restored.

The DA has received an assurance from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Education MEC Mbali Frazer that the vast majority of schools in the province will have food by the end of Monday.
The majority of pupils in government schools rely on the food they receive at school through the National Schools Nutrition Programme (NSNP).

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While Frazer was, by Monday afternoon, yet to address the KZN public on the food supply crisis, Keeka said he managed to hold a conversation with the MEC over the matter.

MEC Frazer has also cited illegal business forums for fuelling tensions and causing a delay with deliveries.
This, on top of what she confirmed was a logistics problem involving the new bulk supplier of food for pupils as part of the NSNP.
“At present, the DA has no reason to reject the MEC’s commitment to ending the collapse of systems within her department. We will continue to perform our oversight work as rigorously as possible, within the framework of the law,” he said.

However, the IFP said the school food supply problem has reached a crisis level which required the intervention of premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

“As the IFP, we call on KZN premier Nomusa Dube Ncube, to break her silence and provide assurances that this crisis will be resolved swiftly. The premier should have demanded answers from the KZN MEC for Education about the food crisis. Her silence appears to communicate that she is not concerned about the welfare of pupils, and that she is in support of the MEC,” IFP provincial spokesperson for education, Thembeni Kamadlopha, said.

KZN Legislature education portfolio committee chairperson Sifiso Sonjica said the committee was awaiting a report from the department.

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“Given that this is a programme meant to benefit the poorest of the poor, we are extremely concerned about what is currently happening across KZN schools. We want this matter resolved and we want it resolved urgently,” Sonjica said.

Responding to The Witness’s request for an update on the food situation at schools, KZN education spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, said that the department was compiling a report on the matter.

As we speak, the MEC is in a meeting with district directors to receive latest reports on the very same matter.