Question NW1152 to the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
12 April 2023 - NW1152
Ngcobo, Mr SL to ask the Minister of Basic Education to ask the Minister of Basic Education
What are the reasons that her department has not been able to eradicate pit latrines sooner, considering that some of her department’s budget for the eradication of pit latrines has been returned to the National Treasury and the fact that her department will not achieve its own target to eradicate pit toilets by 2025?
Reply:
1. In 1996, the Department of Education assessed the infrastructure at all public schools. At the time, is was estimated that about 9 000 schools had no appropriate toilets; and were dependent on basic pit toilets.
2. The SANITATION APPROPRIATE FOR EDUCATION (SAFE) Initiative was launched in 2018. An assessment was conducted to determine the number of schools dependent on basic pit toilets. At the time, is was estimated that the number of schools dependent on basic pit toilets has reduced to 3898, Several of the 3898 schools were small and unviable and were subsequently rationalized and/or closed. Subsequent to the rationalization and/or closure of small and unviable schools, the SAFE project focused on 3 397; after schools, which were not part of the SAFE original list in 2018 were added. here were also additional schools which were added to the list..
3. Of these 3 397 SAFE list, the sanitation projects at 2 547 schools have already progressed to practical completion. The remaining 850 schools have been allocated to implementing agents, and the sanitation protects are scheduled to achieve practical completion during the current fin nail year (2023/24).