Section 27 monitors Limpopo’s progress in eradicating pit toilets at schools

SECTION27 is closely monitoring whether the Limpopo Department of Education will meet its own March 31 deadline to eradicate and replace all pit toilets at so-called “Priority 1” schools in the province.

- ZELDA VENTER

The department missed its initial March 2023 deadline to do so and has repeatedly extended this deadline. As part of its monitoring, Section27 also verified the department's progress at various schools in February this year and expressed concerns regarding some of their findings.

Section27 has been monitoring the department’s progress since December 2021, following a high court order handed down in the Michael Komape case, compelling the department to provide new plans to eradicate and replace basic pit toilets.

The department was also at the time ordered to address other forms of inadequate sanitation at schools in Limpopo, and to report on the implementation of those plans every six months.