Did Gwarube lie about progress of eradicating pit toilets in schools?

There is quite a stink over the question of pit toilets at schools, with the select committee on education, sciences and the creative industries chair Makhi Feni squaring up to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, accusing her of lying about the progress made in eliminating this method of sanitation in schools.

After oversight visits to schools in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and the North West, Feni said: “It is unfortunate that the department and the minister knowingly cited as an achievement the completion of an old project that should have been completed in 2018, when in fact the backlog had instead become so real.

“Eradication of pit latrines needs continuous work given its challenging aspect of water, where public schools can go for days without water and rely on JoJo tanks. It seems the communication was misleading.”

Department defends its reporting

However, Gwarube’s office hit back, with spokesperson Lukhanyo Vangqa denying outright the minister had lied to parliament about progress made and suggesting that the information she provided to the committee had been misinterpreted.

“The minister accurately reported that all 3 372 projects forming part of the backlog identified through the 2018 Safe [sanitation appropriate for education] Initiative audit had reached practical completion,” said Vangqa.

“That statement should not be interpreted as a claim that no school in South Africa presently faces a sanitation or water supply challenge. The distinction between completion of the defined 2018 Safe Initiative backlog and any remaining or subsequently identified sanitation needs has been consistently explained by the minister.”

Vangqa added the department could not give a figure of how much was needed to completely eradicate pit toilets in public schools.

“The cost will depend on the number and condition of facilities identified through updated provincial assessments, the type of sanitation solution required at each school, water availability, geographic accessibility and whether old structures must be demolished or secured,” he said.

Vangqa added provincial education departments are responsible for identifying and budgeting for remaining infrastructure needs, supported by national monitoring, technical assistance and targeted infrastructure programmes.

South Africa’s overall school infrastructure backlog exceeds R120 billion, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, fencing and other facilities.

Although the 2018 Safe Initiative backlog had been dealt with, “it does not mark the end of government’s responsibility for school sanitation”, said Vangqa.

Next phase focuses on remaining challenges

The next phase of work must focus on:

• Identifying schools with sanitation challenges that emerged after the 2018 audit or were not captured in it;
• Ensuring that old and unsafe pit structures are demolished, decommissioned or properly secured;
• Ensuring that newly installed facilities remain functional where schools experience unreliable water supply;
• Strengthening provincial maintenance and rapid response arrangements; and
• Accurately reporting progress and outstanding risks.

After the exchanges in parliament, the FW de Klerk Foundation called on government to speed up the process of getting rid of pit latrines in schools.

Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the FW de Klerk Foundation’s constitutional rights programmes manager, said: “We share parliament’s concern that the government must present an accurate picture of the challenges that remain.”

Parliament’s oversight visits found that many pupils still use unsafe toilets and attend schools without reliable water.

“No child should face these condition,” she said.

Call for greater accountability

The foundation’s executive director, Christo van der Rheede. said: “We welcome every new toilet that gives pupils a safer environment. But the government must also speak honestly about the schools that still need help. It must fix poor workmanship.”

Kathija Yassim, education leadership professor at the University of Johannesburg, said the continued existence of pit latrines in schools was not merely an infrastructure challenge, but a matter of children’s dignity, safety, health and their constitutional right to basic education.

“Effective policy responses depend on reliable data. If the extent of the problem is not accurately reflected, planning, budgeting and accountability are compromised, making it difficult to direct resources where they are most needed,” said Yassim.