The High Court in Polokwane, Limpopo, has delivered judgment in the matter brought forward by advocacy group Section 27 against the Basic Education Department’s plan towards the complete eradication of pit toilets.
Judge Gerrit Muller ruled that the Limpopo Education Department was in violation of an order handed down during the Rosina Komape versus the Minister of Basic Education and others in 2018.
Section 27 spokesperson Ntsikelelo Mpulo says the ruling will compel government to revise its initial plan.
“The judgment is a vindication of the rights of learners in Limpopo to safe and dignified sanitation. It follows a six-year legal battle to ensure that the Limpopo Department of Education and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) eradicates pit toilets in that province. We requested the court to direct the Member of the Executive Council in the Limpopo Department of Education (“MEC”) to remedy the shortcomings of the plan to ensure that it is constitutionally compliant. We are delighted that the court has recognised the urgent need to eradicate pit toilets in our schools,” Section 27’s Ntsikelelo Mpulo explains.
