SECTION27 is a non-profit public interest law centre with a mission to use the law to protect and defend the right to health and education. As a civil society organisation, we seek to work with business and government to hold each other accountable to the vision of the constitution. Over the past ten years, we have led the fight for human rights and social justice and continue to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic using our unique blend of advocacy, activism, and litigation.
The COVID19 pandemic has accentuated inequalities in South Africa. Hunger has rampant as a result of the socio-economic devastation caused by the pandemic. While the virus itself does not affect children, children are the most vulnerable to the socio-economics effects, including hunger and poverty, caused by the coronavirus. The National Income Dynamics Study: Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) shows the impact of the South African lockdown on child hunger.
The National School Nutrition Programme ordinarily feeds 9.6 million learners daily meals. After the Department of Education suspended the programme at the start of the hard lockdown, millions of children went hungry compelling SEC27 and our partners at Equal Education and the EE Law Centre, to take action. Representing EE and the school governing bodies of two schools in Limpopo, we took the Department of Basic Education and provincial education departments to court to fight for the learners.
The judgment in the NSNP case recognises that the constitutional rights to basic nutrition and basic education are inextricably linked. "Hunger is not an issue of charity, but one of justice," said Judge Potterill. As a social justice organisation, we exist to defend human rights; to protect the rights of the most vulnerable; and promote justice! Now our role is to monitor the implementation and delivery of NSNP with our partners.
