School feeding change opposed

The Department of Education has been stopped from appointing small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to provide meals to schools on the nutritional programme. At present the task of appointing suppliers rests with the schools’ governing bodies. However, a departmental circular issued late last year removed that function, leaving the decision on which supplier to appoint entirely in the hands of the department.

This prompted 81 suppliers of food to schools on the programme to bring an application in the Pietermaritzburg High Court to prevent the department from implementing the national schools’ nutritional circular No 107 of 2011, as well as the department’s management plan. The suppliers were granted interim relief pending an application for the circular to be set aside. Businessman and supplier Lucky Mnikathi said in order for the department to give effect to its objectives – to contribute to enhanced learning capacity through school meals, to strengthen nutrition education in schools and to promote sustainable food production initiatives in schools – various suppliers had been appointed. They were engaged on a tender basis.

“Quotations had to be submitted to the school’s governing body against the specific requirements of that school. After considering several tenders and the applicants’ pre-vious records, they were chosen in accordance with the department’s requirements,” he said. Mnikathi said that the relationship between the schools and the suppliers had existed for about 16 years and they had made a substantial contribution towards service delivery to schools. This included the building of mobile and entire kitchens and the purchase and installation of catering equipment at schools. Some of the suppliers had also employed a workforce to serve the schools.

Mnikathi said that the suppliers were also committed to financial obligations by purchasing and securing several vehicles, equipment and property close to the schools they served. They had also taken out loans to buy bulk stock for preparing meals. He said that 1 410 individual suppliers were listed on the nutritional programme. They stood to be replaced by co-operatives, according to the department’s management plan. “The process has no regulations and is open to abuse in relation to the appointments,” he said. It would be in the best interest of everyone concerned that the function of appointing SMMEs remained with the schools’ governing bodies. He also said that the schools’ management, governing bodies, and the public had not been consulted in the implementation of the circular. The department had not yet filed replying papers.