By Celani Sikhakhane
The mounting pressure over the KwaZulu-Natal school nutrition tender has forced the embattled service provider to pull out with immediate effect.
On Wednesday, Pacina Retail PTY Ltd owner Prince Sabelo Manzini Zungu sent an urgent email to the KZN Department of Education authorities informing them that he is opting out.
On Tuesday, reports emerged that the civil organisation uMsinsi Wokuzimilele wrote a letter to the prestigious Hilton College demanding that Zungu’s children are removed from class.
“This email serves to confirm that we at Pacina Retail PTY Ltd have decided to opt out of the NSNP contract. All costs incurred in the services of the NSNP contract will be paid by the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Zungu in an email that is also circulating on social media.
The email was confirmed to Scrolla.Africa by a close friend of Zungu after unsuccessful attempts to reach him.
The email was sent while Provincial ANC Secretary Bheki Mtolo was addressing the media at Seme House in Durban.
Mtolo said that they have taken the decision that Mec Mbali Frazer should terminate the contract with immediate effect.
“We advised the MEC as our deployee that she should terminate the contract.
“It is clear that Pacina Retail PTY Ltd had failed dismally to provide services as per tender requirements,” said Mtolo.
Premier Nomsa MaDube Ncube also announced an investigation into the awarding of the tender, which has seen thousands of school children in KZN go without school meals.
Picture above: The owner of the embattled Pacina Retail PTY Ltd, Prince Sabelo Manzini Zungu, has quit the R2 billion tender
Image Source: Twitter
