By Johnathan Paoli
This week, more light is expected to be shed on a R2.9 billion National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) tender in KwaZulu-Natal that has some political parties and NGOs demanding action against education MEC Sipho Hlomuka.
The MEC was given until Monday by KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli to submit a detailed report in response to allegations of corruption, political interference and tender irregularities within his department.
Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the MEC had met the deadline, and the department would issue a statement on Tuesday.
This follows Ntuli writing to Hlomuka seeking a written explanation regarding his alleged links to a company currently bidding for a portion of the nutrition contract.
“As the department of education in KwaZulu-Natal, we can confirm that the MEC has received the letter from the premier as the premier had promised he was going to write to the MEC requesting him to give to give explanation as to the allegations regarding the school nutrition tender. The MEC has dealt with the letter accordingly. We are appealing to the public to give both the premier and the MEC the space to process the responses as per the premier’s request,” Mahlambi said.
While there were concerns about the impact of feeding learners in the province, Mahlambi said the current tender process had not been compromised and remained within prescribed regulatory stages, including the current NSNP contracts that ended in March 2026.
“With the one that kick starts in next year April, it must be understood in the context of it being a process with stages. There was a stage of advertising, there was a stage of briefing, there was a stage of closing, there was a stage where we needed to advertise the attendance registers. We did that,” Mahlambi said.
“Now is the stage where we have advertised publicly the intention to award so that we allow anyone who’s got issues to raise those issues. So, as the department of education we are not alarmed by the issues that have been raised because this stage is for that reason. So, we have faith in the processes and mechanisms that Treasury has put in place in dealing with such matters.”
Last week, Hlomuka denied allegations of political interference and personal enrichment linked to the tender.
Responding to claims made by the NSNP Service Providers Association, the MEC acknowledged past ties with a company allegedly implicated in the current tender award, but said he had divested years before taking office.
“In 2015, when I was not in government, I registered a company. However, I’m no longer part of that company and I’m not aware of its activities. If it has received any tenders, that information will come out in the investigation,” Hlomuka said.
The MEC emphasised that as the political head of the department, he was not involved in the supply chain management process and had never sat on a tender adjudication panel.
The association claims to have evidence of deliberate procurement manipulation and has submitted complaints to provincial authorities.
Ntuli has vowed to act swiftly and transparently, assuring the public there will be a full update before the end of the week.
INSIDE EDUCATION
