Millions of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds may have to learn on an empty stomach next week after service providers contracted to the schools nutrition programme claimed that they have not been paid.
As a result, the service providers have threatened to not deliver food to the schools from Monday.
According to the National School Nutrition Programme Service Providers Association, the provincial department of education, led by the ANC’s MEC Sipho Hlomuka, only paid 30% of members in April.
After that, only 150 of the 1 800 service providers received payments.
The association said because this has resulted in cash flow challenges, the members would not be able to supply the much-needed food to poor schools, mainly in rural areas and formerly black townships.
Violation of learners’ rights
“The National School Nutrition Programme Service Providers Association expresses deep concern and disappointment over the KwaZulu-Natal department of education’s repeated failure to pay service providers on time,” said Dr Thabang Mncwabe, the spokesperson for the association.
The association said the department continues to breach Section 38(1)(f) of the Public Finance Management Act, which mandates the payment of all valid invoices within 30 days.”
“With no communication or explanation from the department, this failure places over a million learners across the province at risk of going without food on Monday.
“This unacceptable situation not only undermines the constitutional rights of learners —particularly Section 29(1)(a) of the constitution — but also sets a disheartening tone for Youth Month.”
Minister asked to intervene
Mncwabe said the association wants Siviwe Gwarube, the Minister of Basic Education, to urgently intervene and hold the provincial department accountable.
“We cannot allow financial mismanagement, poor planning, and continued disregard for legal obligations to compromise the dignity, health, and education of South Africa’s children,” said Mncwabe.
In a statement, the department said it is working round the clock to fix the systemic glitches that led to some service providers not being paid.
“The department is affected following the implementation of the new standard charts of accounts that includes a complete refreshing of the BAS technical environment. This affects all the departments,” the department.
“For the payment of invoices for the month of April 2025, the system experienced the same challenges of omitting some payments which were authorised.
“While the department captured all submitted invoices for the month of April and other previous months; a number of service providers were randomly omitted in the process.”
