KwaZulu-Natal, Ozwithini — Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has committed to eradicating the backlog of pit toilets at South African schools by next year. Her remarks came during the inauguration of 22 new flush toilets at Deda Primary School, located in the deep rural Ozwithini area, between oThongathi and Wartburg in KwaZulu-Natal. These new facilities replace the six pit toilets that had been used by over 700 learners for years.
The installation of the modern toilets was funded by the non-governmental organization Breadline Africa, at a cost of just under R1 million. The event marks a significant step towards addressing the country’s ongoing challenge of inadequate school sanitation.
Minister Gwarube shared that the government has already made substantial progress in eliminating the pit toilet backlog at schools across the country. According to her, approximately 92 percent of the backlog—affecting about 4,000 schools nationwide—has been cleared.
She also emphasised that while significant strides have been made, the work is far from over. In the coming weeks, Gwarube said, the department will be unveiling a monitoring tool designed to ensure that once the backlog is eradicated, pit toilets do not reappear in schools. She stressed the need for ongoing monitoring, stating:
“It’s not enough to simply say you have cleared a backlog. Things like infrastructure are something that you have to continuously monitor. You need live data that tells you where pit toilets may still exist, and where new issues are cropping up.”
The new monitoring system aims to ensure that there is real-time data on school infrastructure, helping the government keep track of progress and identify areas where interventions may still be required.
In addition to government efforts, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson also spoke at the event, reiterating the importance of collaboration across various sectors. Macpherson stressed that the private sector will play a crucial role in helping to eliminate pit toilets from schools once and for all. He said:
“It became very clear to us that the private sector has a big role to play in helping us to remove this national blemish once and for all. We’ve committed our department to work closely with the Department of Basic Education and other stakeholders, including civil society, to ensure that we tackle this issue effectively.”
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is set to work alongside the Department of Basic Education, local governments, private companies, and non-governmental organizations to ensure resources are used effectively to build the necessary facilities.
The introduction of low-cost, flush toilets at Deda Primary School is just one example of how the government, NGOs, and the private sector are coming together to improve the sanitation conditions in schools. The move to replace pit toilets—often unhygienic and unsafe—aims to enhance the learning environment for students, particularly in rural areas where infrastructure challenges have persisted for years.
The successful installation of the toilets at Deda Primary has provided a sense of relief for both the students and teachers. Many hope that the nationwide commitment to eradicating pit toilets will continue to gain momentum, bringing positive change to schools across the country.
