Gauteng department of education acknowledged delays in the extended food programme, which covers identified students in Quintile 4 and 5 schools.
Thousands of Gauteng pupils could face hunger as service providers in Quintile 4 and 5 schools have not been paid for two months, the DA warned on Wednesday.
According to DA Gauteng shadow MEC for education Sergio Dos Santos, the Gauteng department of education (GDE) has failed to pay service providers responsible for meals at fee-paying schools under the national school nutrition programme.
“The ripple effect of this failure is severe. If service providers cannot continue delivering food due to non-payment, hundreds of children may soon go without their only daily meal,” Dos Santos said.
The DA said it had seen correspondence from acting programme director Busisiwe Mahlangu confirming the department’s “cash flow challenges” had left providers unpaid for two months.
“It is disgraceful that the department’s mismanagement has undermined a programme designed to alleviate hunger,” Dos Santos added.
The party said it would request Gauteng education portfolio committee chairperson Moipone Mhlongo to summon MEC Matome Chiloane to account for the crisis.
GDE clarifies distinction between programmes
In response, the GDE acknowledged delays in the extended food programme, which covers identified students in Quintile 4 and 5 schools.
However, it stressed that the national programme, which caters for Quintile 1 to 3 no-fee schools, was not affected.
“The national school nutrition programme continues to operate and meals for learners in no-fee-paying schools remain uninterrupted,” the department said.
The GDE said that growing socio-economic pressures in fee-paying schools led to the creation of the extended food programme, funded provincially. But this expansion, coupled with provincial budget cuts, had strained resources.
“Regrettably, these challenges have resulted in delays in processing payments to some service providers operating under the extended programme,” the department said.
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Efforts to resolve backlog
The department said it had engaged directly with affected providers and committed to clearing outstanding payments.
“The GDE remains committed to clearing all outstanding payments and ensuring that service providers are supported to continue with their vital work,” it said.
The government is also reviewing the school quintile system to better reflect current socio-economic realities.
Political pressure mounts
The DA, however, accused the department of evasiveness in answering parliamentary questions and warned that financial mismanagement was putting children’s well-being at risk.
“There is no justification for letting learners starve while the premier Panyaza Lesufi-led administration boasts about ensuring that all learners are fed,” Dos Santos said.
The party promised that a DA-led Gauteng government would prioritise transparency and timely payments to prevent such crises.
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