"SA's children are not billboards for junk food corporations" - COPE

CONCERNED citizens and civil organisations have condemned what they termed an “alarming trend” of corporate branding infiltrating school classrooms, following the government’s decision to roll out desks that convert into a school bag in the Eastern Cape.

Last week, Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube, announced that McDonald’s donated foldable plastic desks to Grade 1 learners.

The desks are meant to ease learners’ daily stress of worrying about whether there will be chairs and desks available for them at school.

About five schools in the province’s rural areas have benefited through a donation of modern foldable desks.

In a statement, Congress of the People (COPE) said the move represented a dangerous compromise of children's rights and a betrayal of the state's constitutional duty to protect and uplift the most vulnerable.

“South Africa's children are not billboards for junk food corporations.

“At a time when our nation grapples with an obesity epidemic and rising non-communicable diseases, disproportionately affecting working-class and rural black communities, this partnership exposes children to predatory marketing of high-fat, sugar, and salt foods,” it said.

COPE rejected the “cynical ploy” by McDonald's, which masqueraded as charity while profiting from the health crisis it helps perpetuate, saying children deserve better than to be pawns in a corporate game.

“This incident lays bare the failures of austerity and government neglect. The underfunding of education has created a vacuum that corporations like McDonald's, Old Mutual, and Hollywood Bets exploit for branding opportunities,” COPE said.

The political party asserted that education is a public good, not a marketplace for private interests.

COPE called on the government to immediately recall the branded desks and for the state to provide dignified learning conditions without corporate strings attached.

Build One South Africa (BOSA), Mmusi Maimane, accused the government of ignoring problems, such as damaged school supplies and deteriorating facilities, while making children pay for its mistakes.

“Instead of fixing broken desks, instead of fixing schools, the government is now forcing children to break their backs carrying desks to school,” he said on X.

“No government minister would put their child through this, so why put our children through this?.”

Gwarube has however defended the government’s decision, saying this was approved by authorities.

“Firstly, these desks have been approved by UNESCO, they are 2 kilograms heavy and UNESCO has indicated that these are absolutely appropriate and not every child has to take these home.

“But what is important for me is that there are children in this country who go to places and homes where they don’t even have an area to do their homework,” she said.

She added the desks were innovative.

Cape Times