Madonsela calls for urgent action to protect right to food in South Africa
Former Public Protector and law professor Thuli Madonsela has urged government and institutions to take immediate action to ensure the constitutional right to food for all citizens.
Speaking at the opening of the South African Human Rights Commission’s national investigative hearing on food systems, Madonsela warned that hunger and inequality undermine both human dignity and democracy.
"The right to food is protected in our Constitution not for some, but for everyone, yet millions of South Africans still go to bed hungry. This is a matter of equality, social justice, and the rule of law. Hunger is not a welfare issue—it is a constitutional obligation."
Madonsela highlighted the plight of students, recalling testimonies she heard at Stellenbosch University in July 2023.
Students described skipping meals to afford textbooks, rationing food to pay for data, and having to choose between transport, accommodation, and nutrition.
She stressed that such deprivation directly impacts the ability to learn and compete on a level playing field.
"Without the justice of eating, learning is impossible. Hunger undermines dignity and the right to equality. It is a paradox that in a country with such abundant resources, students still face food insecurity."
She further pointed to systemic inequalities as a root cause of hunger, emphasizing the role of economic disparity in limiting access to food.
"The problem with the right to food is a systems problem. It is about affordability and economic inequality. Many people are not hungry because food does not exist, but because they do not have the means to access it."
Madonsela also warned that failing to address hunger could have broader social consequences, including crime and political instability.
"If we fail to ensure that our democracy works for everyone and that no one is left behind, people who are hungry and angry become vulnerable to those who promise to save them but in fact seek to dominate them."
The national investigative hearing, running from Thursday to Friday, and 12 to 13, and for the whole of next week, aims to examine systemic challenges in the country's food systems.
The hearings will feature submissions from civil society, government departments, and other stakeholders, focusing on ensuring that the right to food, guaranteed under Section 27 of the Constitution, is fully realized.
Madonsela called on the South African Human Rights Commission and other Chapter 9 institutions to hold the government accountable for implementing constitutional provisions, particularly Chapter 5 of the Equality Act, which she said addresses systemic inequality.
"Not implementing the Equality Act weakens both the institutions and our democracy. Hunger is an equality problem and a social justice problem. It threatens not only the rights of those who go without, but the security and progress of the nation as a whole."
The former Public Protector concluded by urging policymakers to address structural barriers, promote equitable access to food, and ensure that no citizen is left behind as South Africa continues its journey toward a socially just society.
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