MEC for Education Must Be Transparent About Multi-million NSNP Tender Award

16 April 2023

ActionSA is devastated to learn that approximately 5400 schools in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) were without food due to tender irregularities, after the Department of Education in the Province awarded a single individual a multi-million Rand National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) tender to supply food to schools across the province, forcing learners to starve on their first day back to school upon returning from Easter Holidays.

While the Department of Education and its MEC, Ms Mbali Frazer, have been tight lipped regarding the matter and whom was awarded the Tender, it is a concern that the Department saw it fit to divert from a system that has been working without hiccups for a number of years, and introduce one that has unfortunately collapsed before it could take off.

It is a cause for concern that a tender of such nature was awarded to a single individual in the province, and with Tenders are often used as ‘get rich quick’ schemes and are often awarded to certain individuals through corruption and irregularities, we call on the MEC for Education to be transparent about how this Tender was awarded to the individual in question.

Should the matter not be resolved by the end of this month, we will immediately take action steps and write to the Public Protector and request a full investigation into the matter and reveal what led to the Department of Education to come to the decision to strip other suppliers of their duties and award it to a single individual, and uncover how many people applies for the Tender, what were it's specifications and did the individuals met t required specifications.

Issued by Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA KZN Provincial Chairperson, 16 April 2023