Schools food funding low

SOME Nelson Mandela Bay schools have called on the Eastern Cape government to speedily deposit school nutrition funds, saying they have yet to receive their allocation for the second term and their supplies are running dry.

At least three schools which cater for thousands of poor children in Uitenhage said they were panicking because weeks into the second term, they had yet to see a cent from the Education Department.

The department however said the money would be transferred this week, with schools receiving it by next week. The schools are no-fee schools and pupils attending these schools are entitled to receive a meal a day, introduced in 2002 as part of the Integrated Food Security Strategy for South Africa. - Tremaine van Aardt and Zandile Mbabela