Yesterday, the DA continued with our #EndSchoolPitToilets at Sibukosetfu Secondary School in Mpumalanga, where the 1 123 learners are forced to use 10 pit toilets – five for each gender, all of which are full, with no Departmental intervention in sight. The 56 staff members at the school use two zink pit toilets.
While the school has the necessary infrastructure to install flush toilets, including a donated borehole through the school governing body (SGB), the Mpumalanga Department of Basic Education (DBE) has failed to fulfil promises that the building of proper sanitation facilities would be prioritised. What is even more troubling is the three open pits that have a deep cavity underneath which poses a terrible danger for the learners and should have been eradicated eons ago.
According to the school, the Department of Human Settlements attempted to drill further boreholes and establish reservoirs on the school grounds, but this project was an utter failure and is now being investigated by the HAWKS.
The learners of Lamulelani Secondary School are subjected to some of the worst pit toilets we’ve ever come across.
- See photos here, here, here, here and here and a video by Baxolile ‘Bax’ Nodada MP and Jane Sithole MPL.
A total of 604 learners and 14 teachers are forced to use dangerous pit toilets built in 1987 and infections are a regular occurrence.
Teachers are forced to teach learners under trees as the Department has failed to rebuild and repair infrastructure damaged by protestors. The little intact infrastructure is in danger of vandalism as the school has no fence to keep criminals or roaming animals at bay.
Due to the rain and the fact that remaining classrooms have leaking roofs, learners were allowed to go home early, resulting in learning losses – unfortunately, another regular occurrence at the school.
It is atrocious that neither Sibukosetfu nor Lamulelani have been targeted to form part of the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) or Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiatives. Nor were they prioritised by the Mpumalanga DBE who had to return R312 million in unspent infrastructure grants.
Neither of these schools were on the DBE list of schools with pit toilets.
The media is welcome to join our oversights. The dates are as follows:
| Dates | Province | Area | Schools |
| 26 July | Pit toilet oversight Limpopo | Vaalwater
Lephalale Fetakgomo Tubatse Ephraim Mogale Municipality Phokoane (Manetolwaneng) |
E A Davidson Primary School
Abbotspoort Primary School Nkotsane Primary School Nkota High School Mogadime Secondary School Nteteleng Primary School |
| 27 July | Pit toilet oversight North West | Cyferskuil
Olverton Lefatlheng Makapanstad |
Makekeng Primary School
Badumedi Primary School Sempapa Secondary School Mmamathibe Primary School |
| 28 July | Pit toilet oversight KZN | iLembe | Ensikeni Primary School
Mandeni Primary School |