Teachers join outcry as state races to end pit latrines at schools

DA leader visits Eastern Cape family who lost three-year-old in latest tragedy

Teachers have added their voices to outrage over pit latrines in schools since the tragic death of a toddler earlier this month.

Union Naptosa said it was disappointed at the education department’s slow progress in eradicating the dangerous, unsanitary holes in the ground, despite its undertaking a decade ago to get rid of them.

Naptosa’s Eastern Cape chief executive, Loyiso Mbinda, said subjecting children to pit latrines was a violation of their rights to dignity and safety.

The body of pre-schooler Langalam Viki, three, was found in a pit latrine at Mcwangele Junior Secondary school in Cacadu (formerly Lady Frere) earlier this month.

Police are still investigating her cause of death.

DA national leader John Steenhuisen visited the Viki homestead yesterday, talking to the family and community members about launching legal action against the department.

Mbinda said: “It is highly disappointing that within the education sector we are still talking about learners falling in pit latrines.

“The very same department published regulations in 2013 indicating pit latrine toilets were forbidden.

“At the time, a target was set for December 1 2017 as the last day of pit latrines.

“It is disheartening to be told there is no money to do these things, when there was no commitment and no effective leadership.”

Steenhuisen was accompanied by newly elected DA provincial leader Andrew Whitfield and the party’s basic education spokesperson, Baxolile Nodada.

“This Human Rights Day, the DA is launching a twopoint plan to eradicate school pit toilets across SA,” Steenhuisen said, confirming the party would take legal action.

“The DA will be starting litigation proceedings to find the quickest and most effective means to instruct governments across SA to erect proper sanitation facilities for all schoolchildren.

“Baxolile Nodada will launch a countrywide campaign to eradicate pit toilets, which will include oversight visits of all school infrastructure that may place the life of a child at risk.”

Provincial education spokesperson Mali Mtima said the little girl’s death was still the subject of an investigation.

The department, working with other stakeholders, was doing its “utmost best” to provide dignified sanitation at all schools.

“Of the 1,500 toilets [needed], we have built over 900, and as we speak about 123 are in the completion stage.

“Others are still at the initial phase as we build them with schools.

“The Safe [Sanitation Appropriate for Education] programme had 3,398, nationally, to be constructed.

“They have finished 2,478 and, of that figure, 849 are in

‘It is disheartening to be told there is no money to do these things, when there was no commitment and no effective leadership’

the Eastern Cape. Apart from those, the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative has installed 1,053 units nationally.

“Of these, 311 are in this province and are complete.

“These facilities are either in [established] schools or in newly built schools.

“We have turned the corner and we are delivering,” Mtima said.

More than 75% of schools in the province now met the gazetted minimum norms and standards for state schools, he said.