Umyalelo wokondla ngokushesha izingane ezikoleni
Isimo sobubha esidlangile eNingizimu Afrika saphoqelela uMnyango Wemfundo Eyisisekelo ukuba uqhamuke nohlelo lokuba uhlinzeke abafundi ngokudla ezikoleni olubizwa ngeNational School Nutrition Programme (NSNP).
Lolu hlelo lukaHulumeni okuhloswe ngalo ukwenza ngcono indlela yokufunda kwabafundi ngokuthi lubahlinzeke ngokudla okunempilo ezikoleni, luphinde lufundise abafundi nabazali ukuphila ngendlela enempilo nokugqugquzela ukwenziwa kwezingadi ezikoleni.
Umbiko woMnyango wonyaka wezi-2013/14 uveza ukuthi lolu hlelo lwafinyelela kubafundi abangaphezulu kwezigidi eziyisi-9 ezikoleni zabahlwempu. UMnyango uthi lolu hlelo lwenze kwabangcono ukugcinwa kwesikhathi esikoleni, kwancipha ukulova, ukulalela uma kufundwa nempilo enhle kubafundi.
Kodwa ngokufika kokhuvethe okuholele ekuvalweni kwezikole, lolu hlelo lube nokuphazamiseka kanti kuyaziwa ukuthi izingane zesikole eziningi zethembele kulona kwazise ziphuma emakhaya angamile kahle.
Nakuba uMnyango wethembisa ukuthi lolu hlelo luzoqhubeka nakuba izikole zivaliwe ngoba uyakuqonda ukuthi lusiza inqwaba yabafundi ikakhulukazi aboHlanga eNingizimu Afrika, kodwa inhlangano i-Equal Education nezigungu zokuphathwa kwezikole ezimbili eLimpopo bayise uMnyango naBaphathiswa bezemfundo ezifundazweni eziyisi-8 kuleli eNkantolo Enkulu eNorth Gauteng ePitoli befuna ukuthi ikhiphe umyalelo wokuthi uhlelo lokondliwa kwabafundi lubuyiswe ngokuphazima kweso.
NgoLwesihlanu zili-17 kuNtulikazi iNkantolo Enkulu yaseNorth Gauteng ikhipe isinqumo esiphoqelela uMnyango Wemfundo Eyisisekelo ukuba uhlinzeke abafundi abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyisi-9 ngokudla ngokukhulu ukuphuthuma.
Le Nkantolo ikhiphe umyalelo wokuthi kubuyelwe ngokushesha ohlelweni loMnyango iNational School Nutrition Programme.
UMehluleli uSulet Potterill uyalele ukuthi lokhu kwenzeke noma ngabe izingane azibuyele ezikoleni.
Uhlelo lokondliwa kwabafundi lwamiswa uMnyango ngesikhathi kuvalwa izikole ngenxa yokhuvethe ngoNdasa.
Lesi sinqumo sithi kumele esikhathini esiyizinsuku ezili-10 kusukela ngosuku sikhishiwe ukuthi uNgqongqoshe u-Angie Motshekga naBaphathiswa babike ngohlelo olukhombisa izinyathelo esezithathiwe, ukuthi yiziphi ezinye ezidingekayo nokuthi zizothathwa nini ukuhlinzeka okungenani ukudla okukodwa kulezo zingane ezifanele.
Emuva kokukhishwa kwalesi sinqumo i-Equal Education esitatimendeni sayo ithe: “Sijabulela ukunqoba kwabafundi abangaphezulu kwezigidi eziyisi-9 eNingizimu Afrika abathembele kulolu hlelo lokondliwa zonke izinsuku neningi labafundi nababanakekelayo abethule ubufakazi enkantolo.”
Ithe iNkantolo inike umyalelo futhi yagcizelela umthwalo obekwe eMnyangweni Wemfundo Eyisisekelo naseminyangweni yezifundazwe uMthethosisekelo noMthetho ukuba bafezekisa ilungelo labafundi elikuMthethosisekelo lokuhlinzekwa ngokudla nemfundo eyisisekelo ngokuthi baqinisekise ukuthi uhlelo iNSNP luyenzeka.
“Lesi sinqumo siphinde siyalele uNgqongqoshe Wemfundo Eyisisekelo uNkk u-Angie Motshekga naBaphathiswa bezemfundo ezifundazweni eziyisi-8 ukuba bafake izihlelo eziphelele zokuqalwa kweNSNP kubona bonke abafundi abafanele esikhathini esiyizinsuku ezili-10. Emuva kwalokho uNgqongqoshe kuzofanele azise iNkantolo ngokuqhubekayo njalo ezinsukwini ezili-15 ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlelo zokuhlinzeka abafundi ngokudla ziyenziwa ngempela,” kusho isitatimende se-Equal Education.
Le nhlangano ibisola uMnyango ngokwehluleka ukugcina izethembiso zawo zokuqhubeka nalolu hlelo nokuqinisekisa ukuthi abafundi ngeke babulawe yindlala.
Mhla zinhlanu kuNtulikazi enkulumweni yakhe uNgqongqoshe uMotshekga wathi uMnyango usulukhulisile uhlelo lokondliwa kwabafundi lwafinyelela nakulabo abangakabuyeli esikoleni. Waqhuba wathi sezikhona nezinhlelo zokuhlinzeka abafundi ngokudla abangakabuyeli esikoleni lapho okuzosetshenziswa izindlela ezahlukene okufaka phakathi ukubaphakela ngezikhathi ezithile ezikoleni, ukudla okuphekiwe kulandwe ezikoleni, amaphasela okudla azolandwa kwezinye izindawo ngaphandle kwasezikoleni.
Esinqumweni sakhe uMehluleli uPoterrill uthinte ukunyathelwa kwamalungelo abafundi kulolu daba.
“Izingane azivikelekile, izingane ezihlwempu ezilambile azivikelekile kakhulu. Indlela okunyathelwa ngayo amalungelo akuMthethosisekelo iyethusa,” kusho uMehluleli uPoterrill.
I-Equal Education yamukele lesi sinqumo ethe sihloniphe ukuthi amalungelo akuMthethosisekelo okuhlinzekwa ngokudla nemfundo eyisisekelo ayaxhumana.
“Sijabulela lesi sinqumo hhayi kuphela ukuthi kuzohlomula abafundi abangaphezulu kwezigidi eziyisi-9 kodwa izigidi zamakhaya ukuthola kwawo ukudla okulinyazwe imvalelwakhaya edalwe ukhuvethe. Ukuthola kwabafundi ukudla ezikoleni kuzokwehlisa ingcindezi kulabo ababanakekelayo iningi labo elilahlekelwe imali engena emaphaketheni futhi eselehlulekile ukubeka ukudla etafuleni.”
Le nhlangano ithe isimi ngomumo ukucubungula izinhlelo ezizolethwa uMnyango neyezifundazwe mayelana nokubuyela ngokugcwele kohlelo lokondliwa kwabafundi kanjalo nombiko wokuthi sekuhanjwe kwafikwa kuphi ukuqinisekisa ukuthi amalungelo abafundi okuthola ukudla okuyisisekelo, imfundo eyisisekelo nesezingeni elikahle ayagcinwa.
Khona manjalo, iSouth African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) nayo isamukele isinqumo seNkantolo yathi izogqugquzela uMnyango neyezifundazwe ukuba basebenzise leli thuba ukuhlinzeka ngezinsizakufunda ngesikhathi esifanayo nokondliwa kwabafundi.
“Ucwaningo olwenziwe abacwaningi bamazwe omhlaba nabakuleli luveza ubufakazi obushaqisayo nemiphumela emibi yesikhathi eside ezinganeni ezincane ezingafundi futhi zingabhali isikhathi eside. Ngakho-ke iKhomishini izogxila ekutholakaleni kokudla nezinsizakufunda zabafundi ezikoleni nalabo abalindele ukubuyela ezikoleni. Ngokwenze njalo, iKhomishini izofuna ulwazi lochwepheshe nokulawulwa kulokho nakwezinye izinto,” kusho iSAHRC esitatimendeni.
Kuleli cala i-Equal Education nezigungu ezilawula izikole ezimbili eLimpopo bebemelwe i-Equal Education Law Centre neSection27 nabameli u-Adv uGeoff Budlender SC, u-Adv uTembeka Ngcukaitobi noThabang Pooe.