The Department of Basic Education has achieved a major milestone by completing all pit toilet eradication projects identified under the 2018 Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative.
According to the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, all 3,372 pit toilets identified during the 2018 national audit have now been replaced with safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
“This achievement means that schools across the country now have access to safer and more dignified sanitation facilities. More than three million learners have benefited from these improvements, while over 48,000 teachers now work in healthier and more dignified environments,” said Gwarube.
The Minister described the achievement as a significant step towards protecting the dignity and safety of learners. She noted that it also honours the memory of Michael Komape, Lumka Mkhethwa and Langalam Viki, whose tragic deaths highlighted the urgent need to eradicate unsafe pit toilets in schools.
Gwarube said the Department’s attention will now shift to addressing other outstanding school infrastructure and sanitation challenges.
“While we celebrate this important national milestone, South Africa continues to face a broader school infrastructure backlog exceeding R120 billion. Many schools still require classrooms, libraries, laboratories, fencing and other essential facilities,” she said.
The Minister also called on communities to protect the newly constructed sanitation infrastructure from vandalism and damage, particularly during service delivery protests, to ensure that learners continue to benefit from safe and functional school facilities.
