There are 37 schools in the Eastern Cape that have no toilets at all.
This follows a national outcry following the death of five-year-old Lumka Mkhethwa from Bizana who died after falling in to a pit latrine at her school. Activists such as the Equal Education organisation are calling on government to provide all schools with flush toilets.
A Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) report on the state of national education infrastructure said the Eastern Cape was the only province where some schools did not have any toilets. The province also has the third-highest number of schools using pit latrines in the country.
The report dated January 2018 reveals that of the 5400 schools in the Eastern Cape, 1945 schools used pit latrines and 37 schools had no toilets.
Lumka’s body was found in a pit in the rundown ablution block at Luna Junior School at Nyaka Village on Tuesday after she went missing on Monday.
DBE Minister Angie Motshekga conveyed her condolences to the family, saying Lumka’s death was “unacceptable”, but political and human rights bodies were harsh in their criticism.
Education lobby group, Equal Education (EE) yesterday said the sympathy expressed by Motshekga was “hollow, disrespectful and insensitive”.
The organisation put the blame for Lumka’s tragic death on Motshekga, on DBE’s director-general Mathanzima Mweli, provincial education MEC Mandla Makupula, and head of education in the province, Themba Kojana.
EE’s head of policy and training, Leanne Jansen-Thomas, said they were distraught that another child had drowned in a pit latrine at school. Michael Komape, a five-year-old from Limpopo, died four years ago when he also fell into a pit toilet at his school.
“We are angered at the continued, crass disregard for the interests of learners. We offer our condolences to her family, her friends, and her school community,” said Jansen-Thomas.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the ruling party has no plan to improve the lives of poor black people – the government of South Africa forces parents to send children to schools that are unsafe and for learning to take place in an undignified environment.
“With resources that are available sometimes being unspent or misappropriated, apartheid can no longer be an excuse.
“No parent, no matter how poor they are , should have to bury a five-year-old – a child lying in faeces,” she said.
Advocacy organisation Section 27 also accused Motshekga of “crying crocodile tears” over the death of Lumka.
The spokesman for the Pan African Congress (PAC) Kenneth Mokgatlhe said if the minister was really remorseful and saddened by Lumka’s death, then she must replace all “s***holes” with proper toilets.
“She must shut down these s***holes and introduce temporary toilets while they immediately erect proper toilets.”
DBE spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department would not enter into debate on the matter as an investigation was currently under way.
lThe Dispatch yesterday used the name “Viwe Jali” for the child given to us by the national Department of Basic Education, but the family have confirmed that her name is Lumka Mkhethwa. Dispatch regrets the error. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
Outrage over lack of decent school toilets
This follows a national outcry following the death of five-year-old Lumka Mkhethwa from Bizana who died after falling in to a pit latrine at her school. Activists such as the Equal Education organisation are calling on government to provide all schools with flush toilets.
A Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) report on the state of national education infrastructure said the Eastern Cape was the only province where some schools did not have any toilets. The province also has the third-highest number of schools using pit latrines in the country.
The report dated January 2018 reveals that of the 5400 schools in the Eastern Cape, 1945 schools used pit latrines and 37 schools had no toilets.
Lumka’s body was found in a pit in the rundown ablution block at Luna Junior School at Nyaka Village on Tuesday after she went missing on Monday.
DBE Minister Angie Motshekga conveyed her condolences to the family, saying Lumka’s death was “unacceptable”, but political and human rights bodies were harsh in their criticism.
Education lobby group, Equal Education (EE) yesterday said the sympathy expressed by Motshekga was “hollow, disrespectful and insensitive”.
The organisation put the blame for Lumka’s tragic death on Motshekga, on DBE’s director-general Mathanzima Mweli, provincial education MEC Mandla Makupula, and head of education in the province, Themba Kojana.
EE’s head of policy and training, Leanne Jansen-Thomas, said they were distraught that another child had drowned in a pit latrine at school. Michael Komape, a five-year-old from Limpopo, died four years ago when he also fell into a pit toilet at his school.
“We are angered at the continued, crass disregard for the interests of learners. We offer our condolences to her family, her friends, and her school community,” said Jansen-Thomas.
“It is becoming increasingly evident that the ruling party has no plan to improve the lives of poor black people – the government of South Africa forces parents to send children to schools that are unsafe and for learning to take place in an undignified environment.
“With resources that are available sometimes being unspent or misappropriated, apartheid can no longer be an excuse.
“No parent, no matter how poor they are , should have to bury a five-year-old – a child lying in faeces,” she said.
Advocacy organisation Section 27 also accused Motshekga of “crying crocodile tears” over the death of Lumka.
The spokesman for the Pan African Congress (PAC) Kenneth Mokgatlhe said if the minister was really remorseful and saddened by Lumka’s death, then she must replace all “s***holes” with proper toilets.
“She must shut down these s***holes and introduce temporary toilets while they immediately erect proper toilets.”
DBE spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department would not enter into debate on the matter as an investigation was currently under way.
lThe Dispatch yesterday used the name “Viwe Jali” for the child given to us by the national Department of Basic Education, but the family have confirmed that her name is Lumka Mkhethwa. Dispatch regrets the error. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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