CR intervenes on school toilets

PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has requested Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to conduct an audit of all learning facilities with unsafe structures, with special focus on ablutions.

He has given her a month to do the emergency audit and to present the president with a plan to rectify the problems.

She is then expected to roll out proper infrastructure within three months. This instruction came as the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) wrapped up its three-day visit to Eastern Cape schools.

It came away questioning the planning, leadership and commitment from the national and provincial departments of education on the matter.

Earlier this week, five-yearold Lumka Mkhethwa was found dead in a pit latrine at Luna Primary School in Mbizana.

Ramaphosa said he was saddened and appalled at the passing of the little girl.He committed his government to sparing no effort in ensuring that young children learnt in safe and conducive facilities.

NCOP deputy chairman Raseriti Tau yesterday addressed the media at the East London ICC following visits to Alfred Nzo district and Buffalo City Metro.

The MPs focused on the infrastructure and sanitation development for the schools in the two areas.

Tau said in 2016 they recommended infrastructure and development roll-outs for Luna Primary School.

Now, two years later, the noncompliance with the NCOP recommendation has led to Lumka’s death, he added. “We are not happy with that and it is a matter we raised in 2016”.

He described the suspected drowning as “an unfortunate situation” but the problem of a lack of infrastructure in rural schools needed everyone to come up with solutions to “radically” speed up infrastructure development in rural schools.

“If there is a budget why is the budget not spent?” he asked

The Eastern Cape failed to spend R415-million of its school infrastructure grant last year.

“Our [NCOP] powers are clear, to hold the executive to account.

“Ours is about passing the budget and ensuring that the budget gets implemented and follow up on the implementation of that budget.” —

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