Premier
With regard to his statement about “weekend food parcels” made during his opening address on 31 July 2024:
(a) What has been the provincial Minister of Education’s response on the (i) feasibility and (ii) cost implications of his proposal of a “weekend food parcel” as an addition to the feeding scheme for learners in the province, (b)(i) how far is the gap analysis on the current feeding scheme that he referred to and that the Minister of Education, the Minister of Health and Wellness and the Minister of Social Development agreed to, (ii) what is the detailed (aa) report and (bb) findings and (c)(i) when is this “weekend food parcel” support to needy learners envisaged to start and (ii) where will the budget be sourced to fund it?
On 31 July 2024, during my Opening Address for the 7th Administration, I stated, “As a team we have already agreed that the ministers of Health, Education and Social Development will work together to identify where there are gaps in our extensive feeding schemes and how we ensure that we fight hunger with healthy, affordable meals. We have to be innovative: for example, I have asked our Minister of Education to loook at the possibility of sending learners, who are part of our school feeding schemes, home on a Friday with a food parcel for the weekend. Because so many of our learners get their last meal on a Friday and their next meal on a Monday morning.”
The challenge of food insecurity is a serious one which will require innovative and differentiated approaches to address. It requires colloboration across our government and also with stakeholders outside of government.
In response to the question to the Department of Education they have informed me that:
- The WCED is still to determine the feasibility and cost implications of this initiative.
(b) The WCED is still to determine the rollout plan, however, it is budget dependent. This is still to be discussed.
(c) As the feasibilty and cost implications of this initiative are still being investigated, no date or budget has been idenitifed.
