The Democratic Alliance welcomes the recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment in which it awarded damages of R1.4 million to the family of the five-year-old boy, Michael Komape, who drowned in a pit toilet at school five years ago.
Whilst this judgment may bring some much-needed relief to the family, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga must take personal responsibility for the failure of her Department to prevent this tragedy.
It is especially disheartening that the family had to walk such a long and hard road. The Education Departments (both national and provincial) and Minister Motshekga clearly didn’t care enough and it is tragic that the family had to go to the courts to get justice.
This heartbreaking case is a vivid reminder that there are many others who are still suffering because they have lost a child in a pit toilet accident.
Earlier this year it was revealed that there are more than 4 000 pit toilets still in use in SA schools. The Department has been neglecting infrastructure at many schools for far too long and every day children are risking their lives by simply trying to access a basic human right.
The Department must ringfence the necessary funds and to immediately eradicate the use of pit toilets.
Our children deserve better and it is time Minister Motshekga took a long and hard look in the mirror and admit that instead of educating our children, she is failing them.