The sight of Gift of the Givers joining forces with the Department of Social Development to hand out food parcels during the Provincial Children’s Day event this past weekend should have been a moment of hope. Instead, it was a stark reminder of how far the Eastern Cape government has fallen behind in protecting its children. When civil society steps in to do the work the government should be doing, it exposes not compassion, but failure.
Across our province, parents are watching their children fade from hunger while provincial leaders issue reports and excuses. Seventy children have already died from starvation and malnutrition in the first six months of this year. For every child lost, there are hundreds more who go to bed hungry.
The Democratic Alliance believes this tragedy is not inevitable. It is the direct result of weak leadership and misplaced priorities.
The Department of Social Development has confirmed that food relief in the province is limited to just three parcels per household per year. At the same time, 28% of departmental offices are in a poor or very poor condition, and 35% are overcrowded. Staff are struggling to work effectively in dilapidated buildings, without clear timelines for repairs.
When the department responsible for social protection cannot maintain its own offices, how can it protect vulnerable families?
Premier Oscar Mabuyane, in response to a parliamentary question from the DA, admitted that only 5% of affected communities are being reached by these interventions. In his own words, coverage is “unfortunately low”.
That admission alone exposes the scale of government’s neglect. In a province where children are dying of hunger, saying you are reaching one in twenty families is an admission of failure.
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The province has the authority and resources to act. It can declare a provincial disaster for hunger and malnutrition and coordinate a rapid response across departments. It can redirect wasteful spending to expand the School Nutrition Programme, establish community feeding centres, and ensure that early-childhood development facilities include proper nutrition support.
It can publish regular, transparent updates so communities know whether progress is being made.
The people of the Eastern Cape are not asking for luxury. They are asking for food, for fairness, for a government that values the lives of children above the comfort of politicians.
Civil-society organisations can help, and we are extremely thankful that they do, but they cannot replace the duty of the state.
The Democratic Alliance will continue to fight for accountability, urgency and compassion in the face of this growing tragedy. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers, and a future built on dignity, opportunity and honest government.