School food suppliers in KZN are not being paid

Thousands of pupils in KwaZulu-Natal are at risk of being left without meals this week if the education department fails to pay service providers.

Suppliers in KZN of school nutrition programmes yesterday halted food deliveries to schools.

Some schemes continue despite nonpayment

Lindani Matiwane, a supplier in the uMlazi district and chair of the feeding scheme association, said they are disappointed at the nonpayment of suppliers.

“We’ve been feeding the children continuously, despite the challenges we’ve faced due to nonpayment,” he said.

“However, the situation is hurting service providers and making our work difficult. It’s perplexing how there’s no money when the programme is a grant funded by the national department.”

The association, which represents 1 500 members across 6 000 school in 12 districts, allege some of its members are owed back payments for April, May and June, while many are still waiting for their July payments.

Matiwane said they had been promised a portion of the payment today and another batch on Thursday.

However, he said members had become frustrated with the department’s unaccountability and inefficiency in running the programme.

“We can’t continue to operate under these circumstances. It’s not sustainable.

“But officials don’t care about the service providers or the well-being of pupils who rely on these meals,” he said.

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Feeding scheme crisis nothing new

The province faced a similar crisis of supply in April 2023.

The issue resurfaced in June 2024, when suppliers had not received their payments before the start of the third school term.

During the recent budget votes, MEC for treasury Francois Rodgers committed an additional R19 million towards the programme.

The association, along with Equal Education, has written to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to intervene and have accused the provincial government of dragging its feet and refusing to engage with them on the matter.

The association’s Thabang Mncwabe said they had exhausted all measures attempting to engage with the department.

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Department says there are reasons why they haven’t been paid

However, this was met with resistance from the department.

“The big problem is that when we wish to talk to the department about what appears to be their problem, they choose not to respond,” Mncwabe said.

Education department spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi acknowledged that some suppliers had not been paid, but attributed this to various reasons.

“It’s a matter we’re addressing with the individual suppliers, as we have contracts with them individually, not as a group. We know which suppliers have not been paid and why,” Mahlambi said.

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