The ANC KZN Provincial Secretary Bheki Mtolo said the tender contract currently in place for the service provider in the National School Nutrition Programme should be terminated immediately.

Mtolo said the programme was near to a collapse and urgent remedial action was needed.

Speaking at a media briefing at the ANC provincial offices in Durban on Wednesday, Mtolo announced actions to be taken to save the programme.

Issues with the programme came to light when the new school term started in April, and thousands of pupils were not fed.

The tender for the feeding programme was awarded to one supplier and not multiple suppliers as in previous years.

Mtolo said the ANC has  engaged with relevant deployees of the ANC, MEC Mbali Frazer, leaders of society, youth formations and key stakeholders in the education sector.

“People in KZN have voiced out their grievances about the feeding scheme programme. The education department must ensure that all schools under this programme have food by Tuesday next week.”

He also mentioned that the one-provider system was not only a KZN concept as it was also being implemented in the Eastern Cape, alluding to the fact that it was not the system but the service provider that caused the collapse.

“The service provider entered into a partnership with a big retailer to ensure and keep up with the demand.

“He won the bid for the tender based on that alone, however the retailer contacted the service provide abandoning their agreement which led to the service provider failing to deliver.”

Mtolo says the department must buy food themselves

Mtolo said the department must buy food directly from suppliers since the contract was no longer valid.

“We are directing the government in this province to remove all red tape in tender procurement processes and allow everyone in the province to participate in the tender processes with favour.”

Mtolo has urged Ithala Bank to hop on board and make it easier for small businesses for funding.

He said the party was still embarking on its own internal investigation regarding this matter.

Mtolo also called for an audit on the quality of the food being supplied to schools.

“The good news is that no one has been paid for the supply of the food until the audits are completed.”