The news of the death of a 5-year-old Grade R learner, Viwe Jali who fell into a pit latrine at a school in Bizana in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday further highlights the dire infrastructural challenges facing some schools across the country.
The NGO, Equal Education, was in the Eastern Cape High Court in Bhisho to compel the Department of Basic Education to sharpen up the infrastructure norms and standards in schools. The school infrastructure law was passed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in 2013.
“Our council did all it could to show the court the importance of these norms and standards. So, we feel very confident. The recent incident of a learner who fell into a pit latrine in Bizana only explains the importance of these and strengthens our case,” said Luzuko Sidimba of Equal Education.
More than 4500 schools in South Africa still have pit latrine toilets. These figures were revealed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga in a written Parliamentary reply in 2017.
The Eastern Cape is the worst affected province.
“It becomes very difficult because we’re here trying to convince the court of the work we have done … the work we are doing, but when there are developments like these, loss of lives, it’s very disturbing. It talks to the amount of work we still have to do but we’ll try to double our efforts,” said Basic Education Department Spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga.
Motshekga has sent her condolences to the family of Viwe Jali.
The incident in Bizana comes four years after another 5-year-old Micheal Komape died in the exact same manner after falling into a pit latrine at his school in Cheben Village in Limpopo.
