Cape town: President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the School Nutrition Programme as one of South Africa’s most impactful pro-poor programmes since the dawn of democracy. The President delivered a keynote address at the 7th Social Justice Summit held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
According to South African Government News Agency, the school nutrition programme feeds some 9.7 million children from indigent households during the week, with studies demonstrating its positive impact on learner attendance, concentration, and academic performance. The President highlighted that learners from quintile 1 to 3 schools, who accounted for 67% of all bachelor passes last year, benefitted from 12 full years of nutrition support at school through this programme. Ramaphosa emphasized the programme’s transformative role, describing it as more than just a support system but a strategic effort to promote a healthier, more educated future.
Furthermore, the government has ensured that these learners receive two meals a day at school, addressing the issue of children arriving at school without having had breakfast. Additionally, social grants play a crucial role in feeding the households from which these learners come. The President acknowledged the social grant system as a lifeline for millions of South Africans, citing research that links grants to better nutrition and reduced food insecurity. He referenced the National Income Dynamics Study/Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey, which found that the Social Relief of Distress grant reduced the number of people below the food poverty line by 2 million in 2021.
President Ramaphosa also outlined various government interventions to combat food insecurity, including provincially managed programmes supporting food production through backyard food gardens. Nutrition at a primary health level is prioritized through initiatives such as breastfeeding promotion, micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women, and a National Obesity Strategy. Since 2003, a mandatory food fortification programme for staples like wheat and maize flour has been implemented to combat micronutrient deficiencies and improve nutrition. Fiscal and market-based measures have been leveraged to improve food affordability, including zero-rating the basic foods basket for low-income households and implementing a health promotion levy on sweetened beverages.
The President called on summit attendees to reaffirm the conviction that social justice cannot exist in the presence of hunger, underscoring the importance of realizing the right to food as a measure of policy success and a test of collective conscience. The summit, leveraging the country’s G20 leadership, serves as a platform for intersectoral collaboration, deliberating constitutional commitments and policy outcomes, and positioning food justice as a transformative driver of social cohesion, regional food security, and global solidarity.