DA blasts Mabuyane over 2 654 malnourished children

The Democratic Alliance says Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s government has failed to act on child malnutrition in the province, despite 2 654 children reported to be suffering from acute malnutrition.

In a statement released on 5 August 2026, DA Shadow MEC for Social Development Marlene Ewers MPL accused the Premier of making repeated promises since 2022 that have not translated into action.

“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,” Ewers said. “These are the consequences of the broken promises of Premier Oscar Mabuyane and his provincial government’s fragmented response to child malnutrition.”

Ewers cited figures provided by the provincial government in response to DA parliamentary questions. They show 754 of the 2 654 cases are severe. The burden cuts across all districts: Alfred Nzo has the highest combined number with 572 children, OR Tambo has the most severe cases at 147, and Nelson Mandela Bay has 508 cases including 103 severe cases.

The SA Human Rights Commission labelled child malnutrition in the province a humanitarian crisis. Ewers noted Mabuyane appeared before the Commission’s inquiry in 2022 and again in September 2025, acknowledging “sluggish” progress and the need for better data, integration between departments, early-warning systems, and a command-centre approach.

“But since then, nothing has changed,” she said.

The DA took aim at what it called a lack of coordination between departments. According to Ewers, Social Development says malnutrition is detected and managed by Health, while listing its own interventions: three-month Social Relief of Distress food packages, six-month private-sector Breakfast Packs, some EPWP opportunities for caregivers, and daily meals for adults at 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,” Ewers said.

The DA said it 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,” Ewers added. “Every one of these 2 654 children has a name, a family, and a future that is being placed at risk.”

The party said children need more than “temporary relief, awareness campaigns, and repeated promises,” and called on government to identify children at risk early, get food and support into homes, and follow through until recovery.

“The Eastern Cape government cannot claim to put children first while thousands are suffering from acute malnutrition,” Ewers said.

The Premier’s office had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.