Learners at St Teresa Secondary School in the Joe Gqabi District, Eastern Cape, are attending school on empty stomachs after the suspension of the School Nutrition Programme (SNP).

The Eastern Cape Department of Education has confirmed the disruption, attributing it to an administrative issue stemming from the school’s unauthorised contract with a service provider—a printing company — without notifying or involving the district office.

Department spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela said the school failed to honour the contract, prompting the service provider to approach the courts.

“Upon entering into this contractual agreement, the school failed to honour its obligations, which led the service provider to take legal action. The court subsequently froze the school’s bank account pending the outcome of proceedings,” said Mboxela.

The school currently owes the service provider R450,000, while its account balance stands at R2.1 million.

“This means there are funds available for the SNP, but due to the account being frozen, the school cannot access them,” said Mboxela. “We urge all schools to refrain from entering into such agreements without the involvement of their district offices.”

The Department added that it is seeking legal advice to resolve the matter.

“We are engaging with our legal team because we understand that it is unlawful to attach the account of any school, particularly where such funds are intended for critical functions like SNP, learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), and other essential needs,” Mboxela said.

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

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