Sipho Hlomuka, KwaZulu-Natal's MEC for Education. (Photo: Gallo Images / Darren Stewart) 
KwaZulu-Natal’s National School Nutrition Programme is a vital lifeline intended to provide daily meals to the province’s most vulnerable learners, many of whom rely on this support as their main source of nutrition. However, the programme is engulfed in a deepening corruption scandal that threatens to undermine this critical safety net.
At the centre of the swelling controversy is KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka, who is accused of interfering in the R2.9-billion National School Nutrition Programme tender process to funnel contracts to politically connected entities, including a company with which he has direct ties.
“The MEC for Education registered this company in 2015 and served as a director for several years. In 2019, he transferred the directorship to a woman named Tennisile Tamuka, who we now understand is allegedly his mother. This company subsequently appeared on the official awards register for National School Nutrition Programme contracts, raising troubling questions about the ethics of this tender process,” said Sakhile Mngadi, the Democratic Alliance’s KwaZulu-Natal education spokesperson.
Hlomuka has acknowledged registering the company prior to his government tenure, but vehemently denies any continuing ownership or involvement and insists he was unaware of the company’s activities after relinquishing his directorship. Hlomuka maintains that he complied with all disclosure and recusal protocols required by law.
The revelations have prompted the DA to call for an urgent investigation.
“We have formally requested the treasury in KZN to conduct a preliminary probe to establish the facts and determine if any regulations were violated,” Mngadi said.
He also flagged accusations from some original tender bidders who missed official briefings that were mandatory for submission, and questioned how companies allegedly absent at these briefings received contracts.
“If these companies indeed have direct links to the MEC, that is a clear breach of treasury rules and highlights issues of nepotism.”
The DA has urged Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to intervene, with plans to brief her on National School Nutrition Programme challenges in KwaZulu-Natal, including substandard food, delayed payments and administrative instability.
Mngadi suggested considering whether the treasury, which manages tender adjudications, should oversee the programme to improve oversight without disrupting meals for more than two million children. He noted that the nutrition programme had remained operational despite these issues.
Service providers raise alarm
Lindani Matiwani, chairperson of the National School Nutrition Programme Service Providers Association, described the concerns in detail. He explained that although the contract was advertised and providers submitted their documents in proper time, the final awarded companies included those that “did not submit or bring back their documents in time”.
Matiwani pointed out this discrepancy arose because awarded companies were not on the official closing list, raising serious questions about procedural integrity.
Matiwani further revealed that some companies allegedly benefiting from the contract were only registered after the tendering process had concluded.
“Some of those companies that were awarded were actually registered on 5 June when the process had already been completed,” he said, describing it as “a mystery”. Additionally, he noted that certain awarded companies were not even officially registered, calling them “ghost companies that do not exist”.
Despite these irregularities, Matiwani gave an assurance that learners would still be fed for the next six to eight months under existing contracts.
“What I can assure you and promise at the present moment is that for the next six to eight months learners will be fed — guaranteed,” he said.
On the way forward, Matiwani confirmed that the association intended to take these matters up with the treasury, rather than the education MEC’s office.
“I want them to investigate and tell us exactly what are the proper ways of conducting the process of tenure… Is this a legal or authorised way that it has been done?” he questioned.
Investigations under way
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has formally written to MEC Hlomuka, demanding explanations and expressing his readiness to investigate the issue further.
The premier’s spokesperson, Bongani Gina, confirmed that Hlomuka had submitted responses to the premier’s office that would form part of the internal review process.
“These submissions were requested as part of an internal process aimed at addressing serious matters raised against both members of the executive council. The deadline for these representations was set for Monday, following an earlier notification issued last week,” said Gina.
Opposition parties within the legislature, including the uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), continue to call for Hlomuka’s removal.
Meanwhile, parties in the Government of Provincial Unity, such as the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), acknowledged that the allegations were concerning but criticised the opposition for politicising the situation.
Mncedisi Maphisa of the IFP praised Hlomuka for addressing the National School Nutrition Programme issue during his budget speech, confirming the allocation of R2.33-billion towards the programme for the current financial year. Maphisa emphasised that the IFP would not use the issue for political grandstanding, stating that the portfolio committee focused on oversight when matters were formally brought to its attention.
Mngadi described the allegations as “deeply unsettling” and noted that they cast a shadow over the programme’s integrity. However, he stressed the importance of a careful and responsible approach, insisting that the allegations must be thoroughly investigated and proven before any conclusions were drawn.
Mngadi also pointed out that operational decisions and procurement processes fell under the jurisdiction of the department’s accounting officer, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, and highlighted the department’s persistent administrative weaknesses that suggested systemic problems.
From the department
In response to the growing controversy, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has issued statements defending the tender process. Spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi emphasised that all procedures had been conducted according to the prescribed legal and regulatory frameworks.
“The procurement process is still under way and has not been finalised for anyone to prematurely cry foul,” he said.
Mahlambi pointed out that the department followed strict guidelines to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the bidding and evaluation phases.
“Any bidders who believe they have been unfairly treated or have concerns about irregularities are fully aware of the appropriate channels and platforms through which they can formally raise their grievances,” he said.
Mahlambi gave an assurance that the department remained committed to upholding accountability and was prepared to investigate all credible allegations brought forward, reinforcing their stance that the process must be given sufficient time to be concluded before judgments were made.
Service providers to speak out
On Tuesday afternoon, service providers contracted under the National School Nutrition Programme in KwaZulu-Natal were set to reveal in a media briefing how alleged “tender rigging” facilitated the awarding of contracts to politically connected individuals.
“This urgent briefing will unpack recent findings, outline the modus operandi uncovered, and present the association’s response and proposed actions to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in the National School Nutrition Programme supply chain,” the organisation stated.
However, this briefing has now been postponed. Earlier statements from the National School Nutrition Programme Service Providers Association revealed widespread corruption and deliberate exclusion in the KZN Department of Education’s tender process for the school feeding programme. Key findings include the involvement of ghost companies, deregistered entities, and non-tax-compliant bidders in the awarded contracts.
Some awardees reportedly failed locality requirements or never submitted bids at all. Additionally, politically exposed persons, including officials from deputy director-generals to clerks and their close associates, had allegedly fronted companies benefiting from the contracts, according to the association. The association also noted that bid documents remained sealed, suggesting pre-determined outcomes in the awarding process. DM