The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has moved to set the record straight following recent allegations regarding the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
In a statement, Director General Mathanzima Mweli, explained that the delay in the department's response was due to discussions between himself and DBE Minister Siviwe Gwarube.
Mweli refuted claims made in the Sunday Times article of 18 August 2024, titled, "Gwarube halts R10bn school food tender", stating that the article contained "numerous inaccuracies, fabrications, and falsehoods".
He emphasised that the DBE did not publish the NSNP tender "surreptitiously" or during a period when the department lacked a Minister. The tender was published on 22 July 2024 after the new administration had taken office.
"The DBE rejects the suggestion that it surreptitiously published the NSNP tender "at a time when it had no Minister," said Mweli.
The tender was published on 22 July 2024, which was several weeks after the assumption of office of the incoming administration," the Director-General said.
Mweli also dismissed the notion that the modernisation of the NSNP was concocted for corrupt purposes. He clarified that the process began in July 2023, involving extensive discussions within the Heads of Education Committee (HEDCOM) and the Council of Education Ministers (CEM), with the final model being adopted in early 2024.
"The assertion that the management of the DBE concocted the modernization scheme for corrupt ends is also rejected. The DBE initiated the process for the modernization of the NSNP in July 2023.
"From a governance point of view, this matter was extensively processed by the Heads of Education Committee (HEDCOM) on various occasions during 2023 and working with the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) as the final model for the modernization was adopted by council in early 2024.
"Extensive records regarding the aforementioned remain available for scrutiny. The issuing of the final terms of reference (TOR) for the tender was thus based on the extensive processing of the modernization project by the relevant mandating structures of the basic education sector and not by the management of the DBE as the article alleges," Mweli said.
The Director General emphasized that the DBE followed all legal procedures and consulted with the National Treasury and a Senior Counsel to ensure compliance with the law.
"The DBE is convinced that the process it initiated is lawful in every respect and this has been confirmed by very senior and experienced officials from National Treasury in addition to the advise of Senior Counsel," Mweli said.
Mweli addressed concerns about the alleged centralisation of the NSNP, explaining that the modernisation aims to maximise government purchasing power and improve the quality of meals for learners.
The programme, he noted, has been underfunded for years, and the modernization seeks to better support poor children, particularly in the wake of increased demand after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The rationale of the modernization project is to ensure that the state maximizes its buying power by creating a mechanism to afford maximum benefits from economies of scale. This would enable government to get better value for money and by so doing improve the quality and quantity of the plate for our children.
"In terms of the conditional grant framework of the NSNP only quintiles 1 - 3 schools (the poorest schools) qualify for the NSNP. This article including those who seem to support it fail to place the learner at the centre of the modernisation as we have done but rather elect to elevate the interest of other parties to supersede those of the learner," Mweli said.
The Director-General said this programme is one of the oldest initiatives of the democratic government initiated to deal with poverty alleviation among children and the DBE's attempt at modernising the programme is intended to advance this objective.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Mweli further rejected the claim that the tender would be awarded to a single entity, calling it "mischief-making" and highlighting that the modernisation model includes provisions for small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and smallholder farmers as part of a Local Economic Development (LED) focus.
The initiative aims to create over 30 000 sustainable jobs and support thousands of small businesses.
"The Department of Basic Education believes that the modernisation of the NSNP is an important initiative to ensure the optimisation of the social wage, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living for the poor which is in line with strategic priority Number 2 of the 7th administration," he said.
In conclusion, Mweli expressed concern over the state of investigative journalism in the country and urged reporters to focus on the real story behind the modernisation of the NSNP.
The closing date for the NSNP modernisation bid has been extended from 15 August to 29 August 2024.
