The DBE presented the Basic Education Portfolio Committee with a status update on the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) on 31 October 2023. During the briefing, Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, said that the Department remains committed to this impactful pro-poor programme, feeding more than 9 million learners nationally: “The NSNP is a motivation for learner attendance, especially for learners who are now receiving breakfast on a daily basis as part of the modernisation and enhancement of the programme.”

Ms Neo Sediti, DBE’s Director for the NSNP, reported that the non-feeding challenges experienced in the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces earlier this year due to supply chain management issues in KZN and the delayed transfer of funds to schools in the EC have been resolved. The DBE held a series of physical and virtual engagements with both Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) to support and strengthen on-site monitoring in schools through the use of the Monitoring, Reporting and Response (MRR) system that provides real- time data to help provinces/districts restore the programme. The NSNP is fully operational across all provinces. 

The Breakfast Programme has been implemented throughout the Eastern Cape Province, with 75% of primary schools monitored, reporting feeding breakfast to learners on the day of the visit. The province plans to extend breakfast to all secondary schools in the 2024/25 financial year. In terms of menu requirements, the province intensified monitoring and the meals provided to learners comply with the NSNP minimum feeding requirements. In addition, some schools have phased in the Chicken Liver Project to supplement the protein intake of learners.

In KZN, the programme has been restored successfully in reverting to SMMEs. The province focused on the timeous payment of SMME’s and VFH’s as key determinants towards ensuring undisrupted feeding, with the Breakfast Programme implemented in all districts. A total of 131 schools and 7 districts were monitored, and all schools complied with the minimum feeding requirements. Provinces successfully phased–in the Breakfast Programme in identified districts and schools in the form of an instant maize porridge. The breakfast is consumed before school starts and the main NSNP meal completed by 11:30 in line with the NSNP monitoring tool. The province will be implementing the Chicken Liver Project in November 2023, in 455 schools with 187,163 learners. Ms Sediti added that a total of four food safety workshops were conducted in the Free State, North West, Eastern Cape and Gauteng Provinces to highlight the importance of health, hygiene and safe food practices. Seven provinces have, thus far, phased in the processed Chicken Liver Project, with KZN and the NC to implement the initiative before the end of the term.

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) represented by MEC, Mr Fundile Gade reported that the NSNP covers 1,648, 826 learners at a cost of approximately R1,49 billion. MEC Gade added that the recent cases of food poisoning in the province was not related to the NSNP, but spaza and tuck shops outside the school grounds. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDoE) represented by MEC, Ms Mbali Frazer, reported that the NSNP covers over 2,4 million learners in 5,436 participating schools in the 12 education districts within the province of KwaZulu-Natal at a cost of approximately R2,09 billion. Both provinces confirmed that the programme is fully functional.

In closing, Dr Granville Whittle, DBE DDG for Social Mobilisation and Support Services, informed the Committee about the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSF) that links local small-holder farmers for the supply of fruit and vegetable and towards local economic empowerment.  The HGSF is currently used by Brazil and an excellent model for best practice to be considered for replication in South Africa. “The DBE will also continue its multidisciplinary approach in working with the Departments of Health, Trade and Industry and Agriculture and to ensure the continued success of the NSNP across all provinces.”