Macpherson, Gwarube on ministerial push to eradicate pit toilets in schools

Minister of public works and infrastructure Dean Macpherson and basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube plan on working together to spearhead a campaign to eradicate pit toilets in schools across the country.

“Plans are already afoot to accelerate these plans. It’s heartwarming to see how many public and private partners are prepared to come on board so we can eradicate these toilets,” said Gwarube.

She said this was not only about safety but also about the dignity of pupils, educators and school staff.

“I met with Macpherson. We are both animated about this and prepared to work together to bring dignity to many schools in our country,” said Gwarube.

“There are certain things that are close to my heart: the issue around literacy and numeracy rates in South Africa, if we are to raise a generation of children who are going to be primed for future economies; the issue around dealing with pit toilets in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. We cannot, 30 years into our democracy, have children who are dying by drowning in pit toilets,” Gwarube said.

After his appointment, Macpherson stated in his budget vote speech he would be waging a war on pit toilets in schools together with Gwarube.

“It is unthinkable that in 2024, we still have pit toilets in our schools. This remains a risk to the lives of our children. I cannot in good conscience allow this danger to continue without urgent intervention.

“In this regard, I have engaged minister Gwarube and we have agreed in principle that we need to collectively declare war on pit toilets and will be meeting with Treasury and MECs in Public Works and Education on how these pit toilets will be eradicated from our schools once and for all,” he said.

Former basic education minister Angie Motshekga previously stated that 3,398 schools were still using pit latrines, with a deadline to eradicate them by 2025.

Four-year-old Langalam Viki's body was found at the back of a pit toilet at Mcwangele Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape on March 6.

Michael Komape, five, from Mahlodumela Primary in Limpopo and Lumka Mkethwa, five, from Luna Primary in the Eastern Cape drowned after falling into pit toilets at their schools in January 2014 and March 2018 respectively.

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