More than 840 schools in the Eastern Cape still rely on pit toilets and about R3.61bn will be required to replace them with safe sanitation facilities, according to basic education minister Siviwe Gwarube.
She was speaking on Monday during an oversight visit to Dimbaza Primary School in Buffalo City, where newly built toilets were officially handed over.
Gwarube said significant progress had been made nationally since an audit of schools with unsafe ablution facilities was conducted six years ago.
“Across South Africa, the 3,372 schools identified in the 2018 audit have now been provided with safe and appropriate sanitation facilities.
“More than three-million learners now attend schools where dangerous pit toilets have been replaced with safer, more dignified facilities,” she said.
The visit formed part of the basic education department’s Sanitation Appropriate for Education (Safe) programme, which was established to eliminate dangerous pit latrines in schools.
Though the national Safe programme has concluded, responsibility for eliminating the remaining pit latrines now rests with provincial education departments.
According to the department, 847 schools across the Eastern Cape still require pit toilets to be replaced with safe sanitation infrastructure.
The estimated cost of completing the work is R3.61bn.
The largest backlogs are in the OR Tambo Coastal district, with 183 affected schools, and Alfred Nzo West, where 163 schools still require upgrades.
Eastern Cape social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta said improving sanitation was essential to creating safer learning environments.
“The positive impact of improved sanitation facilities extends beyond the individual.
“When we provide safe and hygienic conditions for our learners, we are fostering a more productive and engaged student body.
“Educators can teach more effectively when they know their students are healthy and secure,” Fanta said.
Gwarube said SA faced a broader school infrastructure backlog exceeding R120bn.
“Thousands of classrooms still require upgrading.
“Many schools still need libraries, laboratories, administration blocks, fencing, hostels and other important facilities.
“Unfortunately, the challenge facing school infrastructure is also changing,” she said.
“To tackle this extensive backlog, a phased and long-term approach is essential.
“Based on the current budgetary constraints, it is estimated that clearing the backlog will take approximately 10 years if an annual budget of R350m is allocated.
“This timeline is derived from a detailed analysis of the project list, which assigns costs to each school and models the annual delivery capacity against available funding.”
For the 2026/2027 financial year, more than R354.8m has been allocated through the School Backlog Infrastructure Grant to continue sanitation projects in the Eastern Cape.
The funding will support 63 priority sanitation projects, including schools where courts have ordered the provision of safe sanitation facilities, while a further 60 VIP toilet projects are at advanced stages of design and procurement under The Mvula Trust.
Gwarube said four projects had been transferred to the Eastern Cape education department for implementation through the trust, while the remaining projects had been prioritised after assessments were conducted in all districts.
Dimbaza Primary School principal Anelisa Fani said: “This initiative not only enhances our sanitation facilities but also restores dignity to our learners, ensuring they have access to safe and hygienic environments.
“We are immensely grateful for the support from the department of basic education and all stakeholders involved.” — Daily Dispatch
