By Levy Masiteng
The remaining payments owed to National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers in KwaZulu-Natal have been processed.
The provincial department said they would receive their money on Friday.
Department HOD Nkosinathi Ngcobo said on Wednesday that they had initially encountered technical difficulties linked to the implementation of a new financial system, BAS Version 6, which led to delays in processing 22% of the payments.
“We acknowledge the concerns raised by our valued service providers and wish to assure them that the department is doing everything possible to resolve the technical glitches affecting payment processes,” he said in a statement.
He said that the payment delays had nothing to do with the financial difficulties of the department as the NSNP was paid from a grant allocation.
“We remain committed to transparency, timeous communication and the uninterrupted provision of meals to our learners across the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” Ngcobo said.
Earlier this week, the Democratic Alliance said it had requested an urgent special legislature sitting to address NSNP concerns.
It said the department’s failure to pay NSNP service providers during March and April was a “gross dereliction of duty and a broader systemic failure”.
INSIDE EDUCATION
