Question NW4677 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
13 December 2022 - NW4677
Montwedi, Mr Mk to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
(1) What are the details of the (a) policy that is being used to guide the procurement of various foods for the school feeding schemes and (b) role of the school governing bodies as part of implementing the policy of the school feeding programme of her department; (2) (a) what are the details of the measures that her department has put in place to ensure that the procurement of foods by schools benefits local communities and (b) what portion and/or percentage of the budget allocated to various schools in the past two years benefited local black communities in the areas where the schools are located?
Reply:
1. (a) The NSNP Grant Framework as gazetted in the Division of Revenue Act, stipulates menu specifications, which include protein, carbohydrate, fruit and/or vegetable for procurement by Provinces, using the Food Specification Guide developed by the Department of Health.
(b) The NSNP Guidelines for Schools stipulate the role of SGBs, which includes among others, participation in the school based NSNP Committees, whose responsibility includes NSNP finances related to procurement of goods, especially in a decentralised procurement model. The SGB is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Programme.
2. (a) The Grant Framework makes provision for the promotion of local economic empowerment, including the procurement of fresh produce from smallholder farmers. The NSNP Financial Management Training Guidelines give special focus in promoting the empowerment of local communities. Provinces are obliged to follow the supply chain management (SCM) processes in line with the Preferential Procurement Policy Act.
(b) No specific percentage of the budget is allocated for local black communities per se; however, in principle Provinces follow the PPPA, whether its the open tender (centralised procurement), or transfers to schools (decentralised procurement). The PEDs' quarterly reports in the last two years show that a total of 3 599 SMEs and Local Cooperatives in black communities, benefit from the NSNP.