Pressure is mounting on KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli to act in the raging school feeding scheme tender scandal following new information that the wife of a deputy minister from the province also benefitted.

The DA in the province has revealed that a company allegedly belonging to the wife of the  Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Jomo Sibiya, was suspiciously awarded a tender to supply food items to schools.

In a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson on Education in the province, Sakhile Mngadi, the party expressed alarm over new revelations allegedly linking Deputy Minister Sibiya to companies flagged as beneficiaries in the unfolding National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) corruption scandal.

He said the rot in this process runs deep, and his party was demanding the dissolution and reconstitution of the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC), with all current members recused and investigated for possible collusion.

Mngadi also demanded: 

• A full-scale forensic audit led jointly by KZN’s Office of the Premier. 
• A report on all politically connected individuals, including Deputy Minister Sibiya and other officials, who may have benefited from the current contract cycle. 
• The publication of beneficiary company lists, including directors, tax status, and CIPC registration confirmation. 

Mngadi said Sesiphambili Trading was registered by Sibiya in 2008 and is currently under the directorship of his wife, Simphiwe Sibiya. This places the deputy minister in the same boat as KZN Education MEC, Sipho Hlomuka. A company run by his family was also reportedly linked to the tender.

“Evidence now suggests that a company registered under the deputy minister’s wife’s name is among those irregularly appointed as KZN NSNP service providers. The information comes amid widespread reports of politically connected ANC cadres and individuals benefiting from inflated and irregular contracts – a clear sign of systemic and coordinated looting of a programme meant to feed our poorest learners,” said Mngadi.

He further stated that this crisis can no longer be treated as an administrative mishap. It is organised corruption, and it is robbing hungry children of their constitutional right to basic nutrition, he added.

“We reiterate our call for the Provincial Treasury to upscale its investigation into this matter and release its findings for further forensic investigations.”

He said the DA has also established that several companies shortlisted or scheduled for service under KZN’s NSNP do not have MAA numbers – meaning they are incorrectly registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) and ineligible.

Attempts to get a comment from Sibiya were unsuccessful, while Hlomuka’s response is with the premier.

Ntuli recently announced that he was analysing a response from Hlomuka about allegations against him and vowed to take appropriate action if need be.

His spokesperson, Bongani Gina, said the premier will soon announce the date when he would reveal whether he is accepting the MEC’s explanation or not.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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