Latest news with #NSNP
IOL News
01-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
KwaZulu-Natal schools face food delivery problems due to non-payment of service providers
Service providers in the National School Nutrition Programme have warned that some KwaZulu-Natal schools will be without food for schools meals this week due to some service providers not being paid. Image: Pixabay Service providers contracted to feed KwaZulu-Natal schoolchildren have warned that some schools will not receive food deliveries on Monday, 2 June, due to non-payment of invoices by the provincial Department of Education. The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Service Providers Association says many of its members have not been paid for April and earlier invoices despite submitting all necessary documentation, and the department has offered no formal communication or explanation for the delay. The issue of payments, either not being made or being late, have been a challenge since the start of the school year. Last month, the payment issues was also raised by the services providers. The KZN education department admitted that there had been some service providers who were not paid and said this was due to system errors. NSNP association spokesperson Thabang Mncwabe said the non-payment of some service providers "places over a million learners across the province at risk of going without food on Monday'. 'It not only undermines the constitutional rights of learners especially under Section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution, but also sets a disheartening tone for Youth Month.' The association said the department is in breach of Section 38(1)(f) of the Public Finance Management Act, which requires valid invoices to be paid within 30 days. 'We cannot allow financial mismanagement, poor planning, and a continued disregard for legal obligations to compromise the dignity, health, and education of South Africa's children,' Mncwabe said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading It called on the national Minister of Basic Education to urgently intervene and hold the provincial department accountable, while also demanding the immediate implementation of the Pretoria High Court ruling which the association affirms the rights of service providers to be paid on time. In response, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education admitted that some NSNP service providers were excluded from the most recent payment run, attributing it to technical problems related to the implementation of a new financial management system. 'The Department is affected following the implementation of the new Standard Charts of Accounts (SCOA V6), which includes a complete refreshing of the BAS technical environment,' it said. 'Whilst 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,' it added. According to the department, the Provincial Treasury is investigating the cause of the omissions, and a special payment run has been scheduled for Tuesday, 3 June. Payments are expected to reflect by Friday, 6 June. MEC for Education Sipho Hlomuka appealed for understanding and urged schools to continue feeding learners where possible. 'We have requested that principals of schools whose service providers have been affected by this impasse humbly engage service providers to deliver food items to schools and also ensure that learners do not go hungry,' said Hlomuka. 'We call for patience and cooperation during this period of transition and frustration.' THE MERCURY
Daily Maverick
13-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
From headlines to help — getting meals to hungry children in Bushbuckridge, and beyond
A Daily Maverick article on child hunger in Bushbuckridge sparked numerous queries from concerned readers about how they could help, and prompted an unprecedented coalition of food producers and NGOs to deliver life-saving meals. In March, Daily Maverick reported on a heartbreaking situation unfolding in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, where children were being forced to 'take turns' eating at home — a grim reflection of the extreme food insecurity gripping the community. The story struck a nerve, sparking an outpouring of concern from readers, prompting questions such as 'How can we help?' and 'What can be done?' In response to the article, civil society organisations FoodForward SA, OneFarm Share, and the Do More Foundation teamed up with food manufacturers Tiger Brands, RCL Foods and Danone to deliver a rapid feeding initiative in the area. Through FoodForward SA, the coalition is distributing nutritious food, including maize, rice, lentils, beans, samp, pilchards, soya mince and yoghurt to more than 2,500 people, five days a week. 'This collaborative effort between South Africa's leading competing food manufacturers is truly inspiring and groundbreaking,' said Khamil Hiraman, national operations manager at FoodForward SA. 'While this response offers vital emergency relief, it should also help advance sustainable, long-term solutions that include government and local stakeholders,' said Dr Jessica Ronaasen of the Do More Foundation. The national picture The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) has proven to be much more than just a feeding initiative. It has become a vital intervention for improving the health, education, and overall wellbeing of millions of South African children, breaking down barriers to education and contributing to gender equality and better health outcomes. Kerry Mauchline, spokesperson for Western Cape education MEC David Maynier, said the department provided two meals every school day to more than 537,000 learners at 1,055 schools every day through the NSFP. Learners in 712 Quintile 1-3 (no-fee schools) received meals, and the department also supports learners at 343 Quintile 4 and 5 schools. 'In our province, the programme is managed centrally to avoid any disruptions in supply or funding. We are also fortunate to have excellent support from a variety of non-government organisations and have started food gardens at a number of schools to supplement the programme,' she said. While the programme is funded by a national conditional grant, Mauchline said they had found that this did not keep up with food inflation. 'The Western Cape Government adds additional funding from our budget to ensure that the full cost is covered,' she said. Geoffrey van der Merwe, spokesperson for the Northern Cape Department of Education, said the right to education was among the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution's Bill of Rights. However, given the prevalence of poverty in communities across the country, the learning process in schools tended to be negatively influenced by factors such as malnutrition and hunger. Van der Merwe said 269,021 learners in primary and secondary schools from Quintiles 1-3 and targeted Quintiles 4-5 schools received a nutritious meal daily. These learners were at 502 schools across the province. 'This programme is benefiting more than 87% of learners in the public ordinary schools. In addition to this, from the 269,021 learners, a total of 176,152 learners are receiving the NSNP-funded breakfast daily at all Quintiles 1-5 primary schools,' he said. Muzi Mahlambi, head of communications for KwaZulu-Natal education, said the NSNP served more than 4,000 schools. He emphasised the importance of research in shaping the programme's direction and improvements. 'Research has shown that providing breakfast to learners, many of whom come from food-insecure households, significantly improves school attendance and academic performance. Based on evidence showing that many learners arrive at school without having eaten, the programme was enhanced to include breakfast,' he said. Mahlambi said the programme was reviewed and enhanced annually, based on ongoing research. Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said that hunger remained a serious concern in Gauteng, largely due to high unemployment rates and the growing number of child-headed households. 'Many learners depend on food provided at schools. Without access to nutritious meals, they are at risk of malnutrition-related illnesses, which often result in absenteeism. Hunger also affects their ability to concentrate and perform well in class,' he said. Mabona emphasised that the NSNP played a vital role in poverty alleviation by ensuring learners received nutritious meals that supported their learning and improved attendance. In Gauteng, the NSNP currently fed 1,141,515 learners in Quintile 1-3 schools, as well as selected learners in Quintile 4-5 schools. At the time of publication, the departments of education in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo and North West had not responded. Turning compassion into action The crisis in Bushbuckridge revealed a painful reality in communities across South Africa: too many children still go to school or to bed hungry. After the article was published, Daily Maverick received an outpouring of messages from readers asking how they could help. Whether you're an individual, a corporate team, or simply someone who wants to make a difference, there are tangible ways to step in and support the fight against child hunger. 🛒 For practical donors If you're looking for high-impact giving that goes directly to meals: Feed a Child provides immune-boosting, vitamin-rich porridge that requires no cooking — ideal for homes without access to stoves or electricity. Just R100 per month covers 30 meals for a child. ➤ Donate here Soul Food distributes POWA Packs — 1kg of nutrient-dense, low-sugar porridge enriched with essential vitamins. One R75 pack feeds a family of four for a week. ➤ Support here Ladles of Love provides nutritious food to 6,500 young children and their teachers across the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. They supply nutrient-rich food and fresh produce weekly to provide two meals a day to children under seven, as well as their teachers and carers. A donation of R250 a month will give a small child two healthy meals a day ➤ Donate here ❤️ For sustained impact advocates If your focus is long-term change and prevention: Save the Children goes beyond meal distribution by training community health workers to identify and treat malnutrition. They also offer support to families to help them grow or access nutritious food sustainably. ➤ Support here The Lunchbox Fund ensures that orphaned and at-risk children in remote or township schools receive balanced, protein-rich meals daily, supporting both nutrition and learning. ➤ Donate here Siyabonga Africa provides food, blankets, clothing and basic necessities to those who are destitute. The ultimate aim is to create environments and opportunities that enable people to find their way out of poverty. ➤ Support here 🧤 For hands-on helpers If you prefer to give your time and energy: Ladles of Love offers several volunteer options, from making sandwiches at home to helping stock pantries or prepare meals at community kitchens. Their work reaches thousands of preschoolers and caregivers weekly. Soul Food has a well-organised logistics network and regularly calls on volunteers to help pack, sort or deliver food parcels to schools and shelters.
The Herald
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald
School nutrition programme chaos is unacceptable
For millions of children in SA, the most reliable, and sometimes only, meal of the day is the one served at school. The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is not merely a support service; it is a cornerstone of education, equity and child development. Now that cornerstone is crumbling. The result — children are starving. The Herald reported this week that t housands of children in Nelson Mandela Bay were going hungry as school kitchen cupboards stood empty. This is due to a delay in funding for the nutrition programme. In a circular sent by the education department to schools, it said the first tranche of the NSNP payments could not be processed due to problems in uploading payment files on the National Treasury systems. And while some of the affected schools have made temporary provisions to feed the children, at other schools pupils are learning on empty stomachs. The Herald visited several Bay schools this week where the nutrition programme has all but collapsed. At Pendla Primary School in New Brighton, the cupboards were empty and the kitchen assistants sat idle as a result. A staff member, who is not permitted to speak to the media, said they had not been able to feed their pupils for a few months now. At two other schools — Lamani Public Primary School in New Brighton and Cedarberg Primary in Booysen Park — staff have had to make plans to ensure pupils are fed. This is an indictment on society. No child should spend even a day going hungry. A hungry pupil is at a disadvantage academically as that pupil cannot concentrate, absorb information or engage fully in class. When children go hungry due to logistical failures or poor planning, it is not just an administrative error, it is a moral failure. So those responsible for these delays should hang their heads in shame. And they should do better to ensure our NSNPs run efficiently — that funding is stable and delivery reliable. The Herald
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- The Citizen
School feeding scheme in crisis as payments stall
Amid payment chaos, the DA and unions demand urgent action to save the school nutrition programme. The KwaZulu-Natal education department yesterday made an undertaking to pay National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers amid threats by the DA to have the department placed under administration for its 'poor management' of the programme. While the department insists it has so far paid 78% of the NSNP service providers, the contractors said those who have been paid have not been paid in full. NSNP association representative Siboniso Xulu said despite the government having set aside funds for the NSNP programme, the KZN education department has shifted the financial burden for running the programme to the service providers. Unpaid National School Nutrition Programme contracts 'We have not been paid for the work we did in March and April. We are forced to use our own money to keep the feeding scheme going because if we don't, the children will starve,' he said. 'As things stand, some of us have not been paid a cent in the past two months while those who have been paid, have been paid half of what is due to them.' South African Democratic Teachers Union provincial secretary Dolly Caluza said the union believes 'the department has collapsed; it can't do anything. As we speak, some Grade R practitioners have not been paid'. ALSO READ: Tinned fish missing: Saps arrest suspects with stolen school food 'The department is struggling to pay service providers for the school nutrition programme, acting personnel are not paid their acting allowances and some officials cannot attend important workshops.' She said Grade R teachers have had their employment contracts terminated by the department. The teachers were on annual renewable contracts that ended at the end of March every year. 'This does not make sense as the department always renews the contracts. Grade R teachers not paid 'We don't understand why they remove them in the first place, so that workers are not subjected to the pain of not getting their salaries,' Caluza said. 'These workers are also subjected to a salary that does not match the qualifications and experience they have. 'We have engaged the employer on this and it promised to ask the office of the premier to assist with review of the issue, but it appears that was unsuccessful as there is no indication that these Grade R teachers would be relieved of this pain any time soon.' ALSO READ: Ex-school officials arrested for stealing over R35 000 in school nutrition funds The DA's KwaZulu-Natal education spokesperson and MPL Sakhile Mngadi said this was not an administrative hiccup but a 'gross dereliction of duty and a broader systemic failure' by the provincial education authorities.
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Premier Ntuli demands accountability amidst KZN's government crisis
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. Image: Supplied IN A BID to get his KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government in order, Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has called for accountability from his MECs amid the struggles of the Department of Health and the limping-along Department of Education. Ntuli held a marathon media briefing with all members of the Provincial Executive Council (MECs) present, following its normal cabinet meeting in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday. The briefing came as the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department, led by MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, faced a financial crisis, having racked up an alarming R1.7 billion debt to service providers. As a result, several key health projects had to be halted, leading to a protest outside the provincial headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Monday. The angry service providers blocked the entrance, demanding their overdue payments.' Ntuli condemned the actions of the protestors, saying, 'We also wish to condemn the barricading of the offices of the Department of Health by disgruntled service providers, on Monday. No dispute, however large, should be resolved through violence in KwaZulu-Natal. We live in a constitutional democracy and we must always use legal avenues to settle our disagreements.' Simelane-Mngadi, while addressing the matter, confirmed the R1.7 billion debt and explained that the department was cutting back on certain projects to free up funds to pay service providers. 'We are dealing with the issue, and we will cut some projects and divert the saved funds toward payments to service providers,' she said. She also mentioned that negotiations were underway with service providers, including those with monthly payments over R500,000, to spread their invoices over two months. The department's financial difficulties have caused significant disruptions to health services across the province, with several service providers halting operations due to unpaid invoices. On the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which had more than 1700 services, Ntuli said the 22% unpaid service providers of the NSNP, under the education department, would receive their payments on Friday, May 9. 'We are pleased to report that on April 24, 2025, at least 78% of the payments had been successfully processed. Attempts to finalise the remaining payments on April 25 and May 2 were unsuccessful. This was due to technical difficulties linked to the new financial system, BAS Version 6, said Ntuli. The department of education was also battling increased controversy stemming from the non-payment of Grade R teachers in KZN. The Daily News' report, this week, highlighted their plight after they were not paid their April salaries. Many teachers, including Nondumiso Ngcobo, a Grade R teacher at Motala Primary School in Pinetown, said the non-payment has plunged her finances into disarray. Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka said: 'It is not true that some teachers won't be paid. In terms of the educators for Grade 1, there was a challenge because, we unfortunately did not renew their contracts in time. But they have been paid." He added: "We are human beings and we make mistakes." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
