Thousands of learners are still experiencing hunger due to the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) failure to urgently address the challenges caused by a botched R1 billion feeding scheme tender in Gauteng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) discovered this during an oversight visit at GR Harris Primary School in Bosmont after receiving countless complaints from concerned parents. Upon arrival, we found that the school had not received vegetables for three weeks. With only a limited supply of rice, chicken livers, and soya, the school faces a bleak week due to the GDE’s failure to deliver much-needed nutrition to our learners. There were also complaints regarding the quality of food offered.
The GDE’s admission that proper procurement processes were not followed in awarding the tender has exacerbated the crisis, leaving learners vulnerable and deprived of essential nutrition.
The DA demands that the GDE take immediate steps to rectify this situation and prioritise the well-being of our learners.
It is important to note that many of these learners come from underprivileged backgrounds, and the meals they receive at school are often their only source of nutrition for the day. Therefore, any disturbance in providing these meals is bound to have dire consequences.
A caring DA government would promptly implement a reliable and effective school nutrition programme that guarantees all learners access to nutritious meals.
The DA will continue to conduct oversight inspections at schools across the province to assess the feeding schemes and engage the GDE to ensure no learner is taught on an empty stomach.
We remain committed to advocating for the rights of learners in Gauteng and will not rest until we see meaningful improvements in the school nutrition programme.