Cape Town – Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said the Western Cape was the only province able to feed pupils at schools during the lockdown, serving more than 2 million meals paid for with emergency funding from the Provincial Treasury.
Schäfer said the department had been told it could not use the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) funding: “We considered this an urgent humanitarian priority as it became evident that the National Department of Social Development would not be playing the role it was supposed to.”
This comes after the North Gauteng High Court ruled against Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga for halting school feeding schemes in eight provinces, and urged education rights organisations and school communities to monitor government’s compliance with the school meals.
Acting Deputy Judge President Sulet Potterill ruled last Friday that Motshekga and eight education MECs were in breach of their constitutional duties for failing to roll out the NSNP to all eligible pupils – whether back at school or at home.
Potterill also handed down a supervisory interdict, requiring the national and provincial education departments to file plans for the resumption of the NSNP within 10 days of the judgment and, thereafter, provide the courts with progress reports every 15 days.
Equal Education said it and the governing bodies of two Limpopo schools were represented by Equal Education Law Centre and SECTION27 in the case against Motshekga and the education MECs.
“We gratefully acknowledge the work of our counsel on the matter.”
Schäfer said she noted the high court judgment regarding the NSNP.
“While no relief was sought against our province, it is nonetheless an important judgment recognising the fundamental role that school feeding plays in children’s nutrition and health.”
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on Motshekga to break her silence on demands for her ministry to close schools amid conflicting views by educational bodies including teacher unions.
The anxiety of pupils and teachers increased this week as Motshekga and the unions failed to reach a consensus on some of the demands.
South African Democratic Teachers Union general secretary Mugwena Maluleke yesterday said the unions met with Motshekga on Monday but all parties failed to reach an agreement.
Cape Argus