DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17/04/2020

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 11/2020

562..   Mrs N I Tarabella Marchesi (DA) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:

(1)       What reasons have compelled her to suspend the feeding schemes in schools during the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19;

(2)       what steps has her department taken to ensure that the recipients of meals from the school feeding schemes continue to receive meals or food parcels through (a) nongovernmental organisations and/or (b) the Department of Social Development during the lockdown period, which has seen schools closed for an extended time?                                                                                    

Response

The closure of schools was announced by the President as part of the lockdown measures and all school activities were ceased.  

The Department has been working with the Department of Social Development (DSD), through the National Food and Nutrition Security Task Team, led by the Presidency, through which it was agreed that learners would be targeted in families to receive food parcels in their Disaster Relief and Social Relief Management Programme. Corporate partners have been encouraged to donate to the DSD structures in this regard.