Dear Editor
The National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in the Eastern Cape is facing an imminent crisis. Repeated outbreaks of food poisoning and the looming threat of widespread kitchen closures due to non-compliance put the daily meals of over 1.6 million learners at risk.
The DA welcomes the unanimous adoption of this motion. By supporting it, the House has shown a united commitment to protecting learners in the Eastern Cape who rely on the NSNP daily. This victory ensures that proactive steps will now be taken to strengthen food safety standards without depriving vulnerable children of the only meal they may receive in a day.
The DA tabled the motion after the recent outbreak of foodborne illness at the Gobizizwe Agricultural School, which saw 169 cases reported.
It also comes at a time when the Constitutional Justice for Africa has filed a case against the Department of Education, calling for the closure of non-compliant school kitchens across the province, after a report revealed that just four school kitchens out of 712 in Buffalo City and the Amathole West District are compliant with basic food safety regulations.
The Department must file its opposing affidavit by 3 September 2025. The DA does not oppose these proceedings as they are being brought in the best interests of the children of this province. However, we believe the government must act now to prevent a scenario where thousands of kitchens are closed without alternative arrangements in place.
We cannot wait for the courts to force action. If nothing is done, thousands of kitchens could be shut down, leaving millions of learners hungry.
The DA’s motion puts forward a clear plan to strengthen compliance and protect children at the same time.
The motion resolves:
- The recent outbreak of foodborne illness at Gobizizwe Agricultural School be recognised as a warning of systemic failures within the National School Nutrition Programme;
- A full, province-wide audit of all school kitchen infrastructure and food preparation facilities must be commissioned by the Department, with clear timelines, public reporting, and an action plan to address non-compliance;
- The Eastern Cape Department of Education ring-fence dedicated funding within the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) budget for safe and compliant kitchen infrastructure, equipment, and food safety training;
- The MEC for Education table a comprehensive report before this House outlining (i) the current state of kitchen infrastructure; (ii) the extent of non-compliance; (iii) plans to address kitchen infrastructure backlogs; and (iv) enforcement protocols and/or measures for evaluation of compliance;
- Further calls for the development of enforceable provincial norms and standards for school kitchen safety and operations, in collaboration with the Department of Health and other relevant stakeholders.
It is therefore vital that these resolutions now be enforced as a matter of urgency by the Department to protect learners, support schools, and reassure the courts that urgent action is underway. Anything less would betray the trust of our province’s most vulnerable.
The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on dignity, opportunity, and honest government.
Regards
Horatio Hendricks MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Education