The KwaZulu-Natal government says it is working to resolve delays in the payment of service providers by the Departments of Health and Education, which have disrupted critical services such as the school nutrition programme .
The Department of Health has confirmed it owes businesses in the province R1.7 billion, with over 1 500 invoices still outstanding. The non-payment has resulted in some schools being left without food for learners. Both departments cite budget cuts, technical issues and non-compliance by service providers as contributing factors.
Speaking after the weekly Executive Council meeting, KZN Premier Thami Ntuli assured the public that efforts are under way to resolve the issue.
All our provincial departments will continue to work around the clock with National Treasury to resolve any failures in the technical system, Ntuli said.
We can assure the public that the Department of Education has full records of all unpaid service providers. This list has been shared with district officers to ensure that the affected service providers are kept informed and that no further disruption occurs in the provision of meals to learners.
