The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has raised alarm over recent reports on the school nutrition programme crisis in the province.
The reports allege that pupils have gone for almost a month without receiving meals at schools because of a delay in the allocation of funds.
“Considering the recent provincial hearing held by the SAHRC on this matter, we are deeply disappointed by reports of the situation and will be conducting monitoring to ascertain whether the allocation of funds to the affected schools has been affected by the relevant department in the Eastern Cape government,” the SAHRC said.
The commission said failure to provide learners with the required nutrition was a potential violation of their right to basic nutrition.
The SAHRC said basic nutrition and education were fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution under sections 28 and 29 of the Bill of Rights.
“We urge the relevant authorities to take swift action to address this challenge and ensure that all learners in the Eastern Cape have access to basic nutrition under the school nutrition programme,” the commission said.
The SAHRC said it would continue to monitor the situation and take steps to ensure that the rights of learners in the Eastern Cape were protected.
“In the event of non-compliance, the SAHRC will investigate whether mitigating measures have been undertaken to address the crisis,” it added.