The basic education minister should end the decentralised school nutrition programme and adopt a centralised approach
In her opinion piece published on Tuesday (10 September 2024), “9.7 million reasons to get it right: Why school nutrition programme needs scrutiny”, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube is missing the point on key arguments put forward by the department before the tender she is rubbishing was put out for public participation. The point is that a decentralised nutrition programme is not working as it should, and centralising has a better chance of success, as some other programmes in her department have proven.
She is also behaving in the typical grandstanding way of an opposition politician she has been for the past few years. This is very dangerous for the lives of the 9.7 million children who need this government to give them a nutritious breakfast and lunch every day.
Maybe one needs to understand and forgive her for showing her inexperience in directing a government department. One would have expected the minister to first want to immerse herself in the workings of her department before making such public statements painted her entire department’s management as potentially corrupt and inept at running a feeding scheme programme.
The minister is correct in one thing though; our children are in desperate need of a properly run feeding scheme given the failures by tenderpreneurs in the decentralised system the department is trying to do away with. The current decentralised system has been affected by tenderpreneurs who skim the system and payments to purchase a shining German car before buying nutritious food packs for our children.
The minister has probably not heard the horror stories of schools not receiving supplies because the decentralised supplier did not find stock at the local wholesaler because of poor planning, or the supplier waiting for a sale at the local wholesaler before stockpiling near expiry food items. These stories are plenty and are one of the reasons the department should do away with a decentralised system.
Modernising the school nutrition programme will not only ensure that the department takes more control of the system and ensure close management of funds and supplies, but will also bring more governance and accountability into the scheme. This can be achieved by involving the auditor general from day one of the new programme.
A centrally managed programme will ensure that nutrition standards are consistent throughout the country. The department will be well advised to also insist on inspections of suppliers and their products to ensure quality. The new programme also has the potential for boosting the local economy by enforcing the use of local suppliers.
Successful examples of centralised programmes from around the world illustrate its potential benefits. The Brazilian government centrally manages the National School Feeding Programme, ensuring uniform standards and quality across the country. This approach, which incorporates local food sourcing and food safety measures, has successfully provided more than 40 million learners with nutritious meals. The centralisation has also streamlined procurement processes, reduced corruption and improved efficiency.
Similarly, India’s Midday Meal Scheme is another example of successful centralisation. Managed by the central government, the scheme provides free meals to millions of children in government schools across the country. By centralising procurement and monitoring, India has been able to scale the programme effectively, ensuring consistency in food quality and safety. The centralised system has also facilitated better oversight and accountability, addressing issues of corruption and mismanagement that plagued previous decentralised attempts.
There are many centralised projects that run smoothly in this country, some within Gwarube’s department.
The minister has an opportunity to demonstrate her management skills of running a clean department free of corruption and should take that with both hands.
Themba Hlengani is a campaigner with the FeedOurKids movement. We believe every child should receive nutritious meals at school and help fight stunting.