A school feeding programme serving 85 primary schools in Tsholotsho District is facing allegations that porridge intended for learners is being sold elsewhere, raising questions about the monitoring of food supplies.
Child Care Ministries are implementing the programme.
Pastor Challenge Dube, the programme’s overseer, denied that they were involved in corruption. At the same time, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said it had identified administrative gaps in the programme’s implementation.
Allegations of diverted supplies
The programme, reportedly run for more than 15 years, supplies porridge to 85 primary schools in Tsholotsho.
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Community sources allege that some of the porridge is being sold in Plumtree and Lupane, with a 25kg bag reportedly fetching between R250 and R300. The alleged transactions and prices could not be independently verified.
The sources also claim that six Honda Fit vehicles were acquired for four pastors and two female employees to monitor deliveries and check whether learners were receiving porridge.
One source alleged that the vehicles were instead being used to transport porridge for sale. The source further claimed that the vehicles had been grounded, leaving officials relying on telephone communication to monitor distribution.
Dube said the organisation used delivery records signed by teachers and sent monitors to schools to check distribution.
He acknowledged that supplies could be removed after delivery without the organisation’s knowledge but denied that this demonstrated corruption within the church.
“We cannot say there is corruption as we have systems that we use,” he said.
Dube said the organisation was working to address possible irregularities at schools and distribution centres, where those responsible for storing porridge could remove supplies without the programme’s knowledge.
Asked about reports of porridge sales in Plumtree and Lupane, he said the organisation was unaware of them.
“We can’t say it’s not there, but we don’t know that part,” he said.
He added that trucks were loaded according to their scheduled deliveries and transporters were paid based on completed deliveries.
Dube said the programme had operated in Tsholotsho for more than 15 years and supplied 85 primary schools. He also said the District Development Coordinator’s office and the education ministry monitored the initiative.
Ministry acknowledges administrative gaps
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said the programme was supported and operationally administered by Child Care Ministries.
Ministry director of communication and advocacy Taungana Ndoro said the ministry was not responsible for the organisation’s day-to-day warehousing, transportation, delivery or distribution of porridge.
However, he said the ministry had monitored a sample of schools in Tsholotsho and identified administrative gaps in the implementing partner’s operations.
“The Ministry noted that the programme’s implementing partner, Child Care Ministries, had some gaps in administrative programme implementation,” Ndoro said.
He stressed that these gaps did not establish that the ministry had engaged in or condoned corruption.
Ndoro said the ministry would continue to exercise its oversight responsibilities and take appropriate action where findings warranted it.
He also urged the public not to treat allegations of corruption as established facts without supporting evidence.
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