Somewhere in the Eastern Cape, a mother is trying to make the last food in her home stretch for another day. A child is going to bed hungry, waking without energy, and returning to a home where there may still be no nutritious meal waiting.
These are the consequences of the broken promises of Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his provincial government’s fragmented response to child malnutrition in the province, despite being labelled a humanitarian crisis by the SA Human Rights Commission.
The Democratic Alliance is seeking a joint committee briefing and will demand a verified, funded provincial child nutrition plan with quarterly public reporting.
When Premier Mabuyane appeared before the SA Human Rights Commission’s inquiry in 2022, he acknowledged the very failures that remain evident today. He recognised the need for consistent malnutrition data, better integration between departments, improved early-warning systems, and coordinated action. He even supported the idea of a command council to direct the provincial response.
Last year, in September, he again appeared before the commission and admitted that his government had been “very sluggish”. He rejected the recommendation to declare the crisis a disaster but promised a command-centre approach and improved surveillance, coordination, and case management.
But since then, nothing has changed.
Figures supplied by the provincial government, in response to parliamentary questions from the DA, report 2 654 children suffering from acute malnutrition, including 754 severe cases.
The latest response shows the burden reaches every district. Alfred Nzo has the highest combined number, with 572 affected children. OR Tambo records the highest number of severe cases, at 147, while Nelson Mandela Bay records 508 cases, including 103 severe cases. These figures expose a crisis affecting rural communities, towns, and the province’s major urban centres.
Download response and attachment.
Despite promises of a coordinated effort from the Premier, Social Development states that malnutrition is detected and managed by the Department of Health. The MEC then lists household support interventions, but does not align those responses to the need identified by the Department of Health.
Social Development lists three-month Social Relief of Distress food packages, six-month Breakfast Packs supported by the private sector, Expanded Public Works Programme opportunities for some caregivers, and daily meals for adults through Community Nutrition and Development Centres. Each intervention may provide relief, but the response gives no evidence that these measures form a coordinated pathway from screening and treatment to household support and sustained recovery.
The Democratic Alliance is seeking a joint committee briefing and will demand a verified, funded provincial child nutrition plan, with clear responsibility across departments and quarterly public reporting on how many children are being reached, treated, and recovering.
This cannot become another government plan that exists on paper while children continue to go hungry. Every one of these 2 654 children has a name, a family, and a future that is being placed at risk.
They need more than temporary relief, awareness campaigns, and repeated promises. They need a provincial government that identifies children at risk early, gets food and support into their homes, and stays with them until they recover.
The Eastern Cape government cannot claim to put children first while thousands are suffering from acute malnutrition.