Question No. 1068
Dr JC Kloppers-Lourens (Democratic Alliance) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1)(a) What amount was budgeted for the national school nutrition scheme, (b) how many schools and learners benefited from the scheme and (c) what total amount was actually spent in each province in every year since the inception of the programme;
(2) Whether any problems have been identified with regard to the nutrition programme in each province; if so, (a) what problems and (b) what action has been taken to address these problems?
Reply:
1. (a) The current budget for feeding both quintile one to three primary schools and quintile one secondary school is R2,4 billion. This also includes preparation budget for quintile two secondary schools.
(b) In the current financial year at least 6,364,901 learners in 18,334 primary schools and 895,723 learners in 1,725 quintile one secondary schools benefit from the school nutrition programme.
(c) The tables below reflect the budget and expenditure per province from 2006/07 to 2008/09
Expenditure by province as at 2006/07 financial year:
Provinces:
* Limpopo
Allocation: R233 882
Provincial roll-over: 32 255
Total funds: 266 107
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 233 882
Actual expenditure to date: 166 642
Balance: 99 465
Percentage spent of total funds: 62.62 percent
* Free State
Allocation: 64 784
Provincial roll-over: 7 888
Total funds: 72 672
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 64 784
Actual expenditure to date: 80 078
Balance: -7 406
Percentage spent of total funds: 110.19 percent
* Gauteng
Allocation: 99 921
Total funds: 99 921
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 99 921
Actual expenditure to date: 98 262
Balance: 1 659
Percentage spent of total funds: 98.34 percent
* KwaZulu-Natal
Allocation: 239 372
Provincial roll-over: 76 000
Total funds: 315 372
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 239 372
Actual expenditure to date: 254 404
Balance: 60 968
Percentage spent of total funds: 80.67 percent
* Limpopo
Allocation: 202 039
Total funds202 039
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 202 039
Actual expenditure to date: 121 363
Balance: -10 324
Percentage spent of total funds: 105.11 percent
* Mpumalanga
Allocation: 84 549
Total funds: 84 549
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 84 549
Actual expenditure to date: 83 100
Balance: 1 449
Percentage spent of total funds: 98.29 percent
* Northern Cape
Allocation: 29 647
Provincial roll-over: 2 263
Total funds: 31 910
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 29 647
Actual expenditure to date: 29 199
Balance: 2 711
Percentage spent of total funds: 91.50 percent
* North West
Allocation: 95 529
Provincial roll-over: 5 869
Total funds: 101 398
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 95 529
Actual expenditure to date: 120 635
Balance: -19 237
Percentage spent of total funds: 118.97 percent
* Western Cape
Allocation: 48 313
Total funds: 48 313
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 48 313
Actual expenditure to date: 45 956
Balance: 2 357
Percentage spent of total funds: 95.12
* Total
Allocation: 1 098 036
Provincial roll-over: 124 245
Total funds: 1 222 281
Total transferred as at 31 March 2007: 1 098 036
Actual expenditure to date: 979 324
Balance: 131 642
Percentage spent of total funds: 80.12 percent
Expenditure by provinces as at 31 March 2009
Expenditure
* Eastern Cape
Annual allocation: 237 885
Roll over from 2006/07: 63 726
Total funds: 301 611
Total transferred: 301 661
Actual expenditure: 291 488
Balance10 123
Percentage spent on allocation: 96.6 percent
* Free State
Annual allocation: 68 023
Total funds: 68 023
Total transferred: 68 023
Actual expenditure: 68 004
Balance: 19
Percentage spent on allocation: 100 percent
* Gauteng
Annual allocation: 114 574
Total funds: 114 574
Total transferred: 114 574
Actual expenditure: 116 656
Balance: -2 082
Percentage spent on allocation: 101.8 percent
* KwaZulu-Natal
Annual allocation: 260 006
Total funds: 260 006
Total transferred: 260 006
Actual expenditure: 242 430
Balance: 17 576
Percentage spent on allocation: 93.2 percent
* Limpopo
Annual allocation: 192 694
Total funds: 192 694
Total transferred: 192 694
Actual expenditure: 192 901
Balance: -207
Percentage spent on allocation: 100.1 percent
* Mpumalanga
Annual allocation: 106 604
Total funds: 106 604
Total transferred: 106 604
Actual expenditure: 110 504
Balance: -3 900
Percentage spent on allocation: 103.7 percent
* Northern Cape
Annual allocation: 34 507
Roll over from 2006/07: 2 625
Total funds: 37 132
Total transferred: 37 132
Actual expenditure: 37 132
Percentage spent on allocation: 100 percent
* North West
Annual allocation: 87 196
Total funds: 87 196
Total transferred: 87 196
Actual expenditure: 88 524
Balance: -338
Percentage spent on allocation: 100.4 percent
* Western Cape
Annual allocation: 50 729
Total funds: 50 729
Total transferred: 50 729
Actual expenditure: 53 074
Balance: -2 345
Percentage spent on allocation: 104.6 percent
* Total
Annual allocation: 1 152 938
Roll over from 2006/07: 66 351
Total funds: 1 219 289
Total transferred: 1 219 289
Actual expenditure: 1 200 443
Balance: 18 846
Percentage spent on allocation: 100 percent
Expenditure by provinces as at 31 March 2009
Expenditure
* Eastern Cape
Original allocation: 339 816
Revised allocation: 413 658
Total transferred: 413 658
Amount spent to date: 472 149
Balance: -58 491
Percentage spent of allocation: 114.14 percent
* Free State
Original allocation: 82 498
Revised allocation: 100 425
Total transferred: 100 425
Amount spent to date: 80 907
Balance: 19 518
Percentage spent of allocation: 80.56 percent
* Gauteng
Original allocation: 172 111
Revised allocation: 209 510
Total transferred: 209 510
Amount spent to date: 115 742
Balance: 93 768
Percentage spent of allocation: 55.24 percent
* KwaZulu-Natal
Original allocation: 376 435
Revised allocation: 458 233
Total transferred: 458 233
Amount spent to date: 341 943
Balance: 116 290
Percentage spent of allocation: 74.62 percent
* Limpopo
Original allocation: 252 901
Revised allocation: 307 856
Total transferred: 307 856
Amount spent to date: 253 199
Balance: 54 657
Percentage spent of allocation: 82.25 percent
* Mpumalanga
Original allocation: 136 606
Revised allocation: 166 290
Total transferred: 166 290
Amount spent to date: 121 753
Balance: 44 537
Percentage spent of allocation: 73.22 percent
* Northern Cape
Original allocation: 48 483
Revised allocation: 59 019
Total transferred: 59 019
Amount spent to date: 58 991
Balance: 28
Percentage spent of allocation: 99.95 percent
* North West
Original allocation: 103 144
Revised allocation: 125 557
Total transferred: 125 557
Amount spent to date: 117 093
Balance: 8 464
Percentage spent of allocation: 93.26 percent
* Western Cape
Original allocation: 71 109
Revised allocation: 86 561
Total transferred: 86 561
Amount spent to date: 81 285
Balance: 5 276
Percentage spent of allocation: 93.90 percent
2. In line with the Division of Revenue Act (DORA) provinces are required to submit business plans for analysis and approval of related activities. All business plans are supposed to meet the following minimum requirements as stipulated in the grant framework:
* provide meals to all gazetted quintile one to three primary school and quintile one secondary school learners for all school days
* comply with the recommended cost per meal per learner of the current year
* Comply with recommended menus and
* feeding by 10h00.
Summary of challenges per province:
Eastern Cape
Challenge
* Province provided bread menu instead of a variety of meals
Departmental intervention
* Province requested to submit a plan for purchasing out a bread menu with the final business plan, menu plan has been provided
Free State
Challenge
* Non compliance with grant framework (guidelines) in respect of meals costs at R2,35 and R1,90 for primary and secondary schools respectively
Departmental intervention
* Withholding of funds due to non-submission of revised business plan
Gauteng
Challenge
* Only R4 million of the allocated R9,015 million preparation budget (resources) for quintile two secondary school was provided. The remaining was allocated for feeding
Departmental intervention
* Province was advised that allocation is a once-off budget and could not be used for feeding. Business plan was amended and funds transferred.
KwaZulu-Natal
Challenge
* The feeding cost per meal cost was allocated at R1,50 for primary schools instead of R1.80 inclusive of the honorarium for volunteer food handlers.
Departmental intervention
* Withholding of funds due to non-submission of revised business plan
Limpopo
Challenge
* Learner numbers were not in line with the gazetted numbers.
Departmental intervention
* Requested amendment of business plan which was approved. Provincial department co-funded the programme with equitable share
Mpumalanga
Challenge
* Leaner numbers were not in line with the gazetted numbers.
Department intervention
* Requested amendment of business plan which was approved.
Northern Cape
Challenge
* The province provides meals to quintile 1 - 5 primary and secondary schools learners from the conditional grant, which compromises the meal cost to R1,50 for both primary and secondary schools.
Departmental Intervention
* Requested amendment of business plan which was approved. Provincial department co-funded the programme with equitable share
North West
Challenge
* The meal cost was allocated at R1,61 instead of R1,80 inclusive of the honorarium for volunteer food handlers.
Departmental intervention
* Requested amendment of business plan which was approved.
Western Cape
Challenge
* The meal cost was allocated at R1,74 for primary schools instead of R1.80 inclusive of the honorarium for volunteer food handlers.
Departmental intervention
* Requested amendment of business plan which was approved.
After all the department interventions, all business plans were finally approved as per departmental grant framework. The department further scheduled monitoring and support visits to all provinces to ensure compliance with National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) guidelines. Training and development workshops are also planned for the proper implementation of the programme in the current financial year.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
4 September 2009
