Pretoria – Children at Tshinavhe Secondary School in Limpopo will be able to get meals after the Department of Basic Education and SECTION27 reached an agreement that will see the immediate restoration of the nutrition programme at the school.
The agreement comes after delays in the appointment of a new service provider for the school feeding programme.
The school governing body (SGB) had approached SECTION27 -- a public interest law centre -- to intervene after numerous attempts made to resolve the situation with the Limpopo Department of Education were unsuccessful.
It has been established that procurement and administrative issues caused the delay in appointing a new service provider to replace the one whose contract had come to an end.
In terms of the pact, the two parties agreed to the following:
- A service provider must be appointed on Tuesday, 12 November, and a letter confirming the appointment must be made available to SECTION27.
- The service provider will start work immediately.
- Learners at Tshinavhe must be provided with food from Thursday, 14 November.
- The National and Provincial Department of Basic Education must address the matter of the non-payment of two volunteers, who were involved in preparing food for the learners at the school.
- National Department of Basic Education must send a team to monitor and report on the implementation of the plans in Limpopo.
- An audit must be conducted by the National and Provincial Department of Basic Education to establish the extent of the problem in the Vhuronga 2 Circuit to ascertain how many schools are affected; to ensure the delivery of food to the affected schools by Thursday, 14 November; and also, if appropriate, the payment of volunteers at affected schools.
- On 18 November, the National Department of Basic Education must make available a report on progress made.
- The parties must release a joint media statement outlining the agreement and the plans to restore school feeding.
The department has committed to resolve the current situation and will put measures in place to avoid further disruptions to the nutrition programme.
“Both parties agree that at the centre of this matter is the plight of the learners, most of whom depend on the school feeding programme,” said department spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.
The National School Nutrition Programme was introduced by former President Nelson Mandela as part of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, and it is a flagship programme of the department and of government.
Through the programme, over 9.2 million learners across the country receive a nutritious meal every day.
Over 3 624 service providers, 382 local community-based cooperatives and 3 072 small enterprises were contracted to the programme in the 2012/13 financial year.
At the same time, 54 096 unemployed members of local communities, mostly women, receive a small stipend for cooking and serving meals to learners. – SAnews.gov.za
