DA claims corruption in R9 billion school nutrition tender in Gauteng

The DA in Gauteng on Monday called for the immediate suspension of senior officials implicated in a R9 billion school nutrition tender.

The party claims that corruption and mismanagement within the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) have jeopardised meals for more than 1.6 million pupils, many from underprivileged backgrounds.

However, the department dismissed the allegations.

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Claims of corrupt practices

According to the DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa dos Santos, court documents seen by the party revealed that the High Court found an initial R3 billion tender, awarded in July 2024, to be “illegal and fraudulent”.

The party alleges that some GDE officials engaged in corrupt practices similar to those uncovered in the previous R3 billion school nutrition tender scandal in 2024.

“[They] are alleged to have conspired to favour non-compliant service providers, purportedly soliciting bribes and deliberately excluding compliant applicants who refused to oblige,” he added.

Despite the court ruling mandating a new tender process, the DA claims that the same corrupt methods were used in awarding the recent R9 billion tender.

“It has come to light that the same illegal activity of including companies in exchange for bribes persists,” Dos Santos claimed.

He argued that these alleged corrupt dealings compromise the effectiveness of the school feeding programme, placing the health and education of students at risk.

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GDE dismisses allegations

Speaking to The Citizen on Tuesday, the GDE’s spokesperson Steve Mabona refuted the allegations.

“According to information at our disposal, the court application on school nutrition was dismissed with costs on Friday, 28 March 2025,” he said.

The DA, however, insists a full investigation is needed.

“We will also be referring this matter to the Hawks and the Public Service Commission (PSC),” Dos Santos added.

The DA also criticised Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for not addressing corruption in detail during his 2025 state of the province address.

Dos Santos claimed that Lesufi’s administration has failed to present a concrete plan to combat corruption within the provincial government.

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