School nutrition service providers slam KZN Education Department over non-payment

Show Voice Options THE National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) Service Providers Association has called out the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education for failing to pay service providers, putting the programme, and the essential meals it provides to pupils, at risk. The association expressed frustration over the department’s failure to honour payment commitments outlined in Circular 83 of 2024 and Circular 01 of 2025. Play Video “These promises have not been honoured, and the department has failed to provide any further communication to service providers or the association’s leadership,” said Thabang Mncwabe, the association’s communications and stakeholders specialist. According to Mncwabe, the release of Circular 01 of 2025, which promised payments between January 13 and 17, was a calculated move to mislead the public during the provincial legislature’s school functionality assessments. “This misleading action created the perception that the NSNP programme was running smoothly, while the reality paints a starkly different picture,” Mncwabe explained.