Durban - The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has called on other municipalities to step in and assist pupils that have not been getting meals at schools because of the mishandling of a tender to supply food to schools under the National School Nutrition Programme.
“The DA in KwaZulu-Natal calls on municipalities across the province as well as the country at large, to assist schools that have been affected by the National School Nutrition Programme,” said DA leader Francois Rodgers in a statement.
Rodgers added: “The DA-run uMngeni Local Municipality has announced that it will be partnering with local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support the school nutrition programme in the municipality. They have allocated R70 000 to this programme.”
He said the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has failed to ensure the delivery of food to lower-income schools.
“The KZN DoE had committed to ensuring that this programme would resume yesterday, it is a disgrace to have learnt that this has not happened. The DA will be following up with the MEC of Education.
“The ANC continues to fail our province; it is disheartening that the most vulnerable are now being affected by their failure. It cannot be business as usual when we have children that are hungry and cannot attend classes,” he said.
He said the DA will be using all avenues available to the party to ensure that the ANC is held accountable and the National School Nutrition Programme resumes in all affected schools.
Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube told members of the provincial legislature (MPL) on Tuesday that the nutrition programme was back on track.