Covid-19: KZN MECs need to consider NSNP reintroduction as thousands of learners go hungry

8 April 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has written to the province’s MECs for Education (view here) and Social Development (view here), urging them to find a solution to ensure that learners who benefit from the National Schools Nutrition Programme (NSNP) during term time do not go hungry during the current extended school closure and lockdown.

The call comes after an announcement by the DA-led Western Cape government earlier this week that it has been allocated emergency funding from the province and that it is working hard to reintroduce the programme as soon as possible.

While the first priority must remain the need for social distancing during the lockdown period, times of crisis such as this demand innovative thinking and the DA believes that a solution needs to be found here in KZN. For many learners, this is their only daily meal and government in our province cannot sit idly by as thousands of children go hungry. It is imperative for their well-being and health that they receive proper nutrition. We know all too well that the intensity of poverty in KZN has increased year on year – this will only be aggravated by the lockdown and talk of its extension.

The DA acknowledges that there are many aspects to consider with the possible re-introduction of the programme and that it will be a very complex process to activate while schools are still closed. It is with this in mind that my colleague, DA KZN Social Development Spokesperson Elma Rabe, and I have written to our MECs, urging them to communicate with principals in the affected areas on the following issues;

Learners who do not necessarily go to their nearest school and instead travel by choice to schools outside of their neighbourhood, but still require feeding;

Rural learners that live far away from their schools;

Social distancing while collecting meals;

The distribution of takeaway meals or food parcels, rather than learners sitting down to eat;

The safety of learners travelling home with food parcels;

The safety of feeding volunteers and;

The issuing of permits for travel of volunteers and school staff who are required to manage the process.

Unfortunately, the required funding will not be found in the NSNP budget as these funds will be needed after the lockdown period when schools resume and lessons need to be caught up. The DA believes that KZN’s Department of Education (DoE), in collaboration with the Department of Social Development (DSD) should be seeking additional funding to be able to provide food to as many NSNP learners as possible. It is also imperative that this kind of collaboration must not flout any Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) or Treasury regulations and laws.

The role of the DSD in this matter should also be one of assisting with roll-out. As far as ensuring that the entire roll-out, if agreed to, is safe - the KZN DoH must be included to ensure that all health requirements are met for those involved and this must rather be in a supervisory role rather than an implementing partner.

There are many challenges that the provincial government - and more specifically those Departments at the forefront of such an initiative - will need to face. This will require some flexibility if KZN’s most vulnerable learners are to receive the meals they need. The DA believes that every effort should be made to assist our most vulnerable learners during this time. We remain committed to assisting government in any way we can.

Issued by Imran Keeka,DA KZN Spokesperson on Education, 8 April 2020