Following weeks of debate surrounding the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) and the failure of the supplier to provide food to schools in KwaZulu-Natal when the new term began, the contractor has abandoned the tender.

On Wednesday, not only was the contract invalidated by the ANC in the province, who called for its immediate termination, but the service provider Pacina Retail (PTY) LTD resolved to ‘opt out’ of the tender agreement.

Pacina wrote to the department of education informing them of its decision to withdraw from the R2,1b tender on condition that the department pays the company owned by businessman Manzini Zungu all the costs it has incurred so far from distributing food.

The matter was brought to light by DA KZN spokesperson on education, Dr Imran Keeka, on April 13, a day after pupils were back from the first term break, when it was discovered that thousands of schools across the province had not received their food allocations.

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

The ANC KZN secretary, Bheki Mtolo, called for the tender contract to be terminated immediately. Mtolo said the programme had almost collapsed and urgent remedial action was needed.

Media briefing

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

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

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

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.

Following the withdrawal of Pacina from the NSNP, the department of education in KZN said it will invoke a clause in the policy that states: “Where the private label programme defaults or experiences challenges of non-compliance that cause non-feeding, the department shall revert to the old method of supply and delivery of food items to schools.”

The clause stipulates that successful service providers for each cluster should be used to supply and deliver food items procured from any retailer.

“Service providers are hereby advised that they will henceforth procure, supply, and deliver food items to the cluster of schools where they have been awarded as of Tuesday.”

The department said it was in the process of communicating with warehouses and retailers that used to stock food items marked for the NSNP to be aware of the sudden change of events so that they could be prepared for the sudden influx.

DA KZN spokesperson wants SIU investitagion

The DA KZN Spokesperson on education, Dr Imran Keeka, said the sudden decision by Pacina leaves many unanswered questions.

The withdrawal by the company must also not stop any inquiry by the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) into how this tender was awarded. Above all, there must be accountability for what ensued, and those found culpable must face the might of the law.

“With the confirmation of the departure of this company, KZN’s Department of Education will have to scramble to fill the gap. The department may choose to revert to previous suppliers, and the DA expects MEC Mbali Frazer to come clean over this.”

ActionSA welcomes withdrawal

ActionSA welcomed the decision made by Pacina Retail Pty Ltd to pull out of the tender.

The KZN chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango, said the party acknowledged this as the first step towards uncovering the true dynamics of the tender award, what led to the main supplier’s failure to deliver food to schools across the province, and what steps—if any—were taken by the Department of Education after learning of this calamity.

IFP gave ultimatum

IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said: “While we do not want to make any assumptions as to what this might mean, it seems to imply that it is the ANC that instructed the provincial government to appoint this incompetent company.

“We welcome this decision, as the IFP had given the premier seven days to terminate the contract.”

He said the party will provide more comments once a formal announcement is made on behalf of the provincial government.