The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, to convene an urgent joint portfolio committee meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Social Development. It is critical that the Departments of Basic Education and Social Development brief Parliament on the National School Nutrition Programme’s (NSNP) role in ensuring that the 9 million children who depend on school feeding schemes do not go hungry during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
The Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, stated at the beginning of the lockdown that the Department of Social Development (DSD) will take over the school feeding programme during the lockdown. The Minister has never detailed how this was to happen, and as a result millions of children are left to wonder where their next meal will come from.
While it is the DSD’s responsibility to provide social relief during a disaster, the reality is that its implementing agent, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), is completely overwhelmed, under-capacitated and lack the funds to prevent a full-scale food crisis in South Africa. It is therefore critical that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) come to the table with viable solutions to ensure that poor and vulnerable children receive decent meals during this time.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has already filled the gap left by the DSD with its emergency school feeding scheme for vulnerable learners. The Western Cape Provincial Treasury has allocated approximately R18 million in additional funding to the WCED for the scheme.
The DA reiterates its call for all provincial Education Departments to step up to the plate and do the right thing by providing meals for the children who desperately need it.
Numerous reports in the media and from communities show how dire the situation has become. Food scarcity in our communities is not a problem that will solve itself without direct and urgent intervention. More people are becoming dependent on food relief parcels from SASSA and community outreach organisations. Already the amount of food parcels are woefully inadequate to cater to all of those in need.
While we welcome the President’s announcement of increases to SASSA grants, there are a number of children that won’t benefit from this. Emergency school feeding schemes can therefore serve as a net to provide those doubly vulnerable children with food.