Gauteng Education Department Admits It Has No Money for Schoolchildren’s Food

• The Gauteng Department of Education received criticism after it admitted that it could not sufficiently feed children in school
• This is after it admitted that it did not have enough money to pay service providers who provide food for schools
• Parents of children in various schools expressed their concern, and South Africans lambasted the Gauteng Provincial Government

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, contributed coverage of international and local social issues, including health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa, during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — The Gauteng Department of Education is under fire from parents after it revealed that it did not have enough money to pay suppliers who provide food to schools.

According to SABC News, community members in Orlando West, Soweto, were worried that their children would not get food to eat. Most of the parents who speak out against the department are unemployed and struggle to feed their children.

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Reduce correctional service budget: parent

One of the parents said that the lack of food in schools is stressful. She believed that this would increase conflict among children. She said that the Gauteng Provincial Government should reduce the correctional services budget to accommodate the budget shortfall. She said that prisoners must work and produce their own food.

The department also said that the growing influx of children in the province is making it difficult to accommodate those in need. The worried parent said that it would be a difficult reality to face should the provincial government stop food nutrition programmes in the province.

Education Department budget cuts

The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, met with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in September 2024 to discuss the budget cuts the department is facing. This was after the Western Cape announced that 2,400 teachers would lose their jobs because of budget cuts.

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Gauteng's MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, said in the same month that the department would focus on cutting other budgets to save more than 3,000 jobs. He said that due to a R4.5 billion budget cut, the department would cut various educational programmes. He said the department would do whatever it could to save teachers' jobs.

Netizens not impressed

South Africans on X lashed out at the Department of Education.

Mtshepana said:

"When Dudula says the resources of the state are strained, police are sent to arrest them."

Mthokozisi said:

"Next, you find out that billions have been looted in that department."

Unathi Afrika said:

"This is the perfect opportunity to create wealth for black people, especially in rural areas. Cut out the tenderpreneur middlemen and provide land and agricultural mechanisation to rural communities."

Siya said:

"Not addressing the issue identified by Operation Dudula now will be the one big regret this country will have."

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ECD boosted with R1.7 billion

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Gwarube announced in July that the department increased the Early Childhood Development (ECD) grant allocation. She said that R1.7 billion was set aside for ECD.

The National Treasury allocated R35 billion to the department. Gwarube said that the government's goal is to ensure that every eligible child enters Grade R.

Source: Briefly News