There are 458 schools in the Eastern Cape built from unsuitable materials.
A total of 427 schools still rely on pit toilets, facilities that have long been flagged as a serious safety risk.
Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane revealed the figures during his state of the province address in Bhisho on Thursday.
He said the Eastern Cape government has vowed to accelerate the eradication of unsafe and inappropriate school infrastructure.
“We are dealing with the challenge of 427 schools that have pit toilets, which poses a serious risk to the lives of learners,” he said.
“In partnership with the department of basic education, we plan to eradicate 300 pit toilets in 2026.”
Addressing the legislature, he described the situation as a ‘tall order’ demanding urgent intervention
He did not provide details on the specific materials deemed unsuitable.
Addressing the legislature, he described the situation as a “tall order” demanding urgent intervention.
He said 25 new schools were completed in 2025, marking progress in efforts to replace ageing and unsafe structures.
The academic year began with the official opening of Sitoza Senior Secondary School in Dr AB Xuma municipality. He said the development should be hailed as a symbol of what is possible even in remote communities.
“The government has zero tolerance for the sexual abuse of learners.”
He said there were 413 cases of adolescent pregnancies referred to the police for statutory rape.
“It also worries us when multitudes of our children who pass grade 12 struggle to find space in our institutions of higher education.
“We support the view that institutions of higher learning should consider using digital and online classes as part of expanding access to higher education.”
The Herald
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