Pupils finally get flushing toilets
It was a historic day on Monday November 18 for the pupils of Deda Primary School in Ndwedwe, the children finally got flushing toilets.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson unveiled the toilets at the school, with cheers from the excited pupils and teachers. This came on the eve of World Toilet Day, observed on Tuesday November 19.
Mr Macpherson said the new toilet facilities will replace two previous pit toilets at the school.
“As the Government of National Unity, we are committed to eradicating pit toilets in schools nationwide, and by working with the private sector, we are confident we can achieve this goal,” he said. “As the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, we will be sharing our expertise to assist Minister Gwarube in eliminating pit toilets in schools. By working together, we are building a better South Africa.”
Ms Gwarube said that they they unveiled and handed over upgraded ablution infrastructure, as part of their drive to eradicate pit latrines in the country.
“For many years, learners at this school were subjected to using unsafe and undignified pit toilets, with all 620 learners sharing only one tap.
Today, we hand over 28 upgraded toilets for learners and teachers.
We are moving closer towards eradicating the identified pit toilets backlog. Thank you Breadine Africa, Glencoe, Development Bank of Southern Africa and Easy Equities for helping us restore the dignity of learners and teachers at this school. This also demonstrating the power of Public Private Partnerships,” said Ms Gwarube.
She added that she wants to eradicate pit toilets at schools by next year.
Mr Macpherson, says more can be achieved if his department works together with the Department of Basic Education, civil society and the private sector to build flushing toilets at schools.
Ms Gwarube underscored the human rights dimension of sanitation, calling it a moral imperative to ensure every learner’s safety and dignity. She acknowledged the tragic consequences of unsafe sanitation and reaffirmed her department’s commitment to closing the chapter on pit toilets. She emphasised that this effort went beyond compliance; it symbolised the nation’s care for learners’ health, safety and dignity.
She said the government was committed to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, which sought universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.
“We need to address this issue now, recognising that children deserve safe facilities today. Appropriate sanitation isn’t just a safety issue, it’s about restoring dignity for both learners and staff at the school,” she said.
School principal Emmanuel Dlamini highlighted the importance of hygiene and safety in the learning environment.
“As a school we need to ensure that our learners are safe and not getting infections or any diseases from the toilets and are also protected from dangerous physical structures,” Mr Dlamini said.
Breadline Africa CEO, Marion Wagner said the upgrade to the sanitation facilities involved replacing unsafe pit toilets with modern, eco-friendly solutions. She said the project included retrofitting existing structures with low-flush toilets and waterless urinals, constructing 10 new concrete toilet blocks and installing 22 toilets and 8 urinals. Safety enhancements included 1.8m precast screen walls, secured plumbing, hand washing stations with 2 700l and 500l tanks and a modular septic system. The project cost R943 174.