The KwaZulu-Natal National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers’ association has welcomed the halting of a R10 billion tender for a single supplier to provide pupils with food across the country.
According to reports, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube stopped her department’s plan to issue the tender due to suspicion of corruption.
The tender was reportedly issued by the department when it had no minister as the ANC and other parties were engaged in negotiating the formation of a government of national unity(GNU). Whistle-blowers in the department alerted Gwarube to the tender as they suspected corruption.
The NSNP’s spokesperson in KZN, Thabang Mncwabe, said the centralisation of the school nutrition could be disastrous.
“If you give a single supplier the tender to provide meals to millions of pupils you are creating chaos. We are grateful that the minister quickly intervened to avoid what could have been another disaster that would have left many children unfed.
“The current system of multi suppliers is fine, we saw what happened when a single supplier was given a tender to supply food here in KZN last year,” he said.
An independent supplier based in the KZN Midlands, Themba Madlala, said, “We are already facing many issues with the department in this province, imagine what will happen if there is a single supplier for the whole country, it would be a mess and that is the last thing pupils need.
“It is very important that the department engages with suppliers before making any decision because we all want the same thing, that is to feed millions of children who depend on this food,” he said.
A principal of a school in uMlazi stressed how important it was for the department to work closely with food suppliers. He said hiccups in the programme affected thousands of pupils.
Meanwhile, the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) on behalf of the KZN NSNP service providers association, sent a letter to the Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka seeking urgent intervention in addressing the problems experienced by service providers.
“Some of the key concerns of the association include: The delayed payments to suppliers, which do not only affect the suppliers’ credit scores, but also the ability to produce food items on credit. There has also been a significant increase in food prices from distributors and wholesalers, which increased suppliers’ operational costs, and suppliers raised concerns about having to supply food items not specified in contractual agreements, including costs of gas,” the letter read.
KZN Department of Education spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, said the department was looking into the issue.
The Mercury