The Gauteng department of education GDE says the rapid growth in the number of pupils who require nutrition support in quintile 4 and 5 schools, which are fee-paying institutions, has placed significant pressure on provincial funding for the programme.
Spokesperson Steve Mabona was responding to reports that the department had not paid service providers and said the department was working on making outstanding payments.
In a statement, Mabona said the department had 'experienced significant socio-economic changes and this has resulted in growing numbers of vulnerable children in fee-paying schools'.