Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Sergio Isa dos Santos MPL here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has conducted follow-up oversight inspections at several schools across Gauteng. This includes Vosloorus Comprehensive School in Vosloorus, Edenridge Secondary School in Palm Ridge, and Kwanele Primary School in Katlehong. The inspections were initiated due to complaints about irregular and non-delivery of food, as well as concerns about the quality of the meals provided to learners following a dispute over a R1 billion school feeding contract.
The DA discovered that the current service providers are providing inadequate supplies, including poor-quality vegetables, missing items such as chicken livers, and shortages of staples like samp, rice, beans, and soya.
Some schools have complained that they only received apples, whereas they would normally receive a variety of fruits for the learners. Additionally, schools reported that the quality of staples like samp, rice, beans, and soya is poor, resulting in almost double the time needed to prepare meals.
The DA reiterates its call for the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to take immediate action to address this crisis and ensure that every learner has access to nutritious meals. This is crucial for their physical and mental well-being and ultimately impacts their academic performance.
The DA will continue to conduct oversight inspections at schools to monitor the supply of food items and the quality thereof. The GDE has denied that the food scheme has become widespread, claiming that all schools have continued to receive their meals since the 9th of July 2024. This shows how out of touch the department is with the realities on the ground and their tendency to become defensive without firsthand observation.
We cannot have learners, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and rely on school meals as their only source of food for the day, be denied this essential service due to the department’s mismanagement of tender processes.
Where the DA governs, we effectively manage government spending, devise innovative solutions to challenges, and ensure that resources are accessible to those most in need. We will persist in pressuring the GDE to take the necessary action to end classroom hunger and create a promising future for all learners in our schools.