Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga reiterated her undertaking that pit toilets at schools still using them for sanitation will be eradicated before the end of March 2024.
Responding to EFF MP Babalwa Mathulelwa, she said there were 3 388 schools that were dependent on basic pit toilets on the government Sanitation Appropriate For Education (SAFE) programme.
“Sanitation projects at 2 767 schools have already progressed to practical completion,” she said.
“The target of the schools on the SAFE programme is scheduled to achieve practical completion by the end of 2023-24,” Motshekga said.
Mathulelwa also asked the minister about the time frames she has determined for the eradication of pit toilets in all schools in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, and the reasons that there have been so many delays in the process.
Motshekga said the Department of Basic Education has provided 78 schools with sanitation facilities and will provide sanitation facilities to the outstanding four schools in Matatiele by the end of the financial year.
Motshekga has repeatedly been asked when her department would eradicate pit-toilets at schools.
She has set several deadlines that were never met over the past few years.
Earlier this year, Motshekga told IFP MP Siphosethu Ngcobo that the SAFE programme, which was launched in 2018, would be completed in this financial year and she put the number of schools still to have the pit toilets eradicated at 850.
Motshekga said the department had assessed the infrastructure at all public schools in 1996 and estimated that about 9 000 schools had no appropriate toilets and were dependent on basic pit toilets.
“At the time, it was estimated that the number of schools dependent on basic pit toilets has reduced to 3 898.
“Several of the 3 898 schools were small and not viable and were subsequently rationalized and/or closed.”
Motshekga said the sanitation projects at 2 547 schools have already progressed to practical completion and the remaining 850 schools have been allocated to implementing agents.
Cape Times