The IFP has been clear about its demand that the service provider which failed dismally to provide food in schools must be terminated immediately. We were directing this call to the government of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Very surprisingly, the announcement to terminate Pacina Retail (Pty) LTD as a service provider for the NSNP in KwaZulu-Natal has been made by the ANC – not the provincial government.
While we do not want to make any assumptions as to what this might mean, it seems to imply that it is ANC that instructed the provincial government to appoint this incompetent company.
There is a clear line between the ANC and the provincial government.
According to the correct procedures, the Department of Education or the Premier should have made this announcement, irrespective of whether the decision was influenced or taken by the ANC.
Having stated the above as our point of departure, the IFP notes the ANC’s decision to terminate the incompetent Pacina Retail (Pty) LTD tender, after they failed to supply food to schools.
We welcome this decision, as the IFP had given the Premier seven days to terminate the contract.
The IFP now calls on both the MEC for Education and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal to speedily do the following:
- To ensure that learners have food on Tuesday, 02 May 2023, the Department must reappoint the previous service providers who were servicing schools up to 31 March 2023. These service providers should be appointed on a month-to-month basis for a reasonable period of time, to allow the new process to be finalised.
- The NSNP tender in KwaZulu-Natal must be re-advertised with immediate effect.
- The Premier must appoint an independent forensic investigator to leave no stone unturned on this irregular appointment of an incompetent company. Heads must roll in order to send a clear message: incompetence, fraud and people sleeping on duty will not be tolerated in KwaZulu-Natal.
As the IFP committed to the people of KwaZulu-Natal in 2019, we will not rest until the full truth is revealed. We are commited to ensuring that we play an effective oversight role in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature.
We are further aware of what is circulating on the social media – that Pacina Retail (Pty) LTD has voluntarily opted out of the NSNP in KwaZulu-Natal, subject to the Department paying them for all costs incurred thus far in rendering the NSNP.
We will provide more comment once either the Department or the Premier make a formal announcement on behalf of the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal.
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Contact
Hon. Vf Hlabisa MPL
Leader of the Official Opposition in the KZN Legislature of and President of the IFP
083 974 5783