Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Baxolile ‘Bax’ Nodada MP
The DA is launching its End School Pit Toilets campaign and petition. Sadly, pit toilets in schools have claimed the lives of far too many children, as it did earlier this year when four-year-old Langalam Viki was tragically found dead in a pit toilet at her school.
Learners and teacher are forced to use unsafe and unhygienic pit toilets at more than 5 000 schools across the country. Learners and teachers deserve a safe and dignified environment that is conducive to learning and teaching.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has launched two initiatives to address the issue of unsafe school infrastructure, yet all the deadlines to address this have been missed and subsequently moved. According to the 2021 National Education Infrastructure Management System (NEIMS) report, 21% of public schools in South Africa still have functional pit toilets. This is unacceptable, and it is time for action to be taken.
The DA calls on the government to prioritize the safety and dignity of learners and take immediate action to eradicate pit toilets in schools. We demand accountability and transparency from the DBE and call for a clear timeline and budget for the eradication of pit toilets in schools.
The DA will be conducting oversights to schools with pit toilets across the country to ensure the ANC government eradicates them once and for all.
We will also approach the courts in an attempt to ensure all pit toilets in schools are eradicated as a matter of urgency and replaced with safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
We urge concerned citizens to join us in our campaign by signing our petition at https://www.endschoolpittoilets.co.za/ to show their support for the eradication of pit toilets in schools. The safety and well-being of learners should be a top priority, and we will not rest until all schools have safe and sanitary infrastructure.