BOSA urges government to protect school feeding schemes ahead of crucial budget speech
BOSA urges government not to cut a cent from school feeding schemes, warning that millions of children rely on these meals as their only source of daily nutrition.
Image: File
Build One South Africa (BOSA) has warned the government against making any cuts to school feeding schemes ahead of the national budget speech on May 21.
The party emphasised that the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) is a vital lifeline for over nine million poor learners across the country, many of whom rely on it for their only guaranteed meal of the day.
BOSA is calling on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to ring-fence and increase funding for the programme. It also raised concerns about corruption, red tape, and financial mismanagement undermining delivery in multiple provinces.
“We call on Minister Enoch Godongwana to ring-fence and look to increase funding for school feeding schemes.
''In addition, we must ensure that red tape, corruption, and fiscal pressure does not rob children of their basic right to nutrition as has been the case in at least three provinces,” said BOSA acting spokesperson Roger Solomons.
In KwaZulu-Natal, many service providers had not been paid for March and April, following last year's R2 billion tender scandal that left over 5,400 schools without food.
However, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has provided an update, confirming that as of April 24, 78 percent of payments had been successfully processed. Attempts to complete the remaining payments on April 25 and May 2 were delayed due to technical issues linked to the rollout of a new financial system, BAS Version 6.
A final payment run on May 6 was successful, and the remaining 22 percent of unpaid service providers are expected to receive payment by May 9.
"The problem has nothing to do with the financial difficulties of the Department for the NSNP is paid from the grant allocation.
''We remain committed to transparency, timeous communication, and the uninterrupted provision of meals to our learners," said Nkosinathi Ngcobo, Head of Department for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education.
In Gauteng, more than a million learners were affected by delays in finalising a new NSNP contract, with legal battles over tenders continuing to delay meal deliveries.
The Northern Cape faces a major education budget shortfall that threatens future delivery of the programme. In the Western Cape, although meals are still being provided, fiscal pressure is mounting with a staffing shortfall and a high vacancy rate in education posts, said the party.
“Any government that allows children to go hungry while billions are spent on ministerial perks and luxury motorcades has lost its way,” Solomons said.
“BOSA rejects any budget that sacrifices the health and dignity of poor children for the sake of austerity or patronage.”
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