Court bid to force government to feed pupils

When schools closed in mid-March, the national feeding programme, which provides food to over nine million children in South Africa, also shut down.  

Meanwhile, the full reopening of schools would be further delayed, as only grades R, 6 and 11 will join grades 7 and 12 back at school on Monday.

On Thursday, judgment was reserved in a case, brought by Equal Education, and two Limpopo schools, who approached the court to force government to provide food to pupils who rely on the scheme, regardless of whether they are back at school or not.  

For more on this we spoke to civil society organisation, Section 27’s Julia Chaskalson.