Section27 slams govt’s failure to eradicate pit toilets in schools

[File Image]: Pit toilets at a school in South Africa.

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Advocacy group, Section27 has lamented a lack of political will and provinces’ continued under-spending in infrastructure grants as reasons for failure to eradicate pit toilets in schools in the country.

This comes as Basic Education Minister, Siviwe Gwarube is expected to visit Limpopo’s Vhembe West District this week, to hand over newly constructed toilets and assess progress at local schools.

She will also provide a national update on efforts to eliminate pit toilets in schools following the missed March 31 deadline.

The advocacy group says it is monitoring Limpopo because of the court case it had in the province after a learner Michael Komape drowned and died in a pit toilet.

Section27 Spokesperson, Pearl Nicodemus says, “It is a lack of resources, at least from provincial departments, a lack of political will, only because we see progress as a result of court oversight.”

Nicodemus says, “If you look at Limpopo, we’re able to see great progress and we don’t take that away from the department, but if you look at other provinces that don’t have the same oversight, there’s no progress there.”