Johannesburg - The IFP in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) legislature has questioned Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s silence following multiple reports of learners attending classes hungry at thousands of schools in the province on the first day of school.
This comes after pupils in KZN started their first day of school of the second term without food last week Wednesday.
“Learners are going hungry in many districts due to the incompetence of the KZN MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, as suppliers allegedly failed to deliver food to schools,” the IFP said.
“Why is the premier silent on this matter?” the IFP asked.
The IFP called on Ncube to break her silence and provide assurances that the crisis would be resolved swiftly.
“If an IFP MEC was responsible for the food shortages and leaving learners to starve, the ANC would have hurled insults and called for her resignation.
"However, it appears that in this case, comradeship in the ANC is taking centre stage at the expense of learners. The KZN ANC provincial leadership – in particular Bheki Mtolo, Sboniso Duma, as well as Sasco, the KZN ANCWL and the ANCYL – are silent on this matter,” it said.
The IFP demanded answers on the following questions from the KZN MEC for Education:
- Why did food suppliers not deliver food to schools on time when schools reopened on April 12, 2023?
- How many schools did not receive food on time on April 12, 2023?
- Which suppliers were appointed under the National School Nutrition Programme in KZN?
- How much is paid to each supplier/s per month for delivering food to school/s?
- How many school/s are allocated to each supplier responsible for delivering food to schools?
The IFP demanded that Ncube urgently summon the KZN MEC for Education to explain why learners were being left to starve, and to offer immediate solutions to the crisis.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
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