Dear Editor
Yesterday, the DA continued its #EndPitToilets campaign in Limpopo at the Nkota Secondary School where 209 learners and 18 staff members have to share 10 pit toilets. None of these toilets have ever been maintained by the Department of Basic Education (DBE). (See photos here and here )
Despite the community making the most of the school’s steady water supply and donating two flush toilets for the personnel, and a donation of Enviro Loos by the National Lottery, the learners are still heavily dependent on the pit toilets for their sanitary needs.
Nkota needs to be prioritised through the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) or Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiatives.
Nkotsane Primary School’s 322 learners are lucky enough to have Enviro Loos installed at the school, but the Department has failed to demolish the old pit toilets which continues to pose a serious danger. (See photos here, here and here)
Learners are also crammed into classrooms built in the 1980’s and meant for classes half their size. We saw 47 grade 7 learners using a class meant for 20 learners at most.
At the Mogadime Secondary School, roughly 250 learners, including disabled learners, rely on Amalooloo toilets, which have fortunately replaced the pit toilets, although the school does suffer without a reliable water supply. (See photos here and here).
Of the 25 other Limpopo schools the DA has done oversights at since the start of the year, only five does not have pit toilets. And the Department has only been in contact with six schools to upgrade their sanitation facilities and eradicate the pit toilets.
Research has shown that hygienic and safe infrastructure plays a major role in learners’ motivation to receive an education and their results. We must commend the strides already taken, but much more needs to be done.
Regards
Baxolile ‘Bax’ Nodada MP
DA Shadow Minister of Basic Education
Mr. Alien
A baby was born in South Africa. The village was very poor, and the makeshift hospital didn\’t have some necessary equipment.. such as scales.
The father however, was desperate to know the newborn baby\’s weight. After quite a bit of asking around, the hospital\’s chairman came up with an idea.
\”Five miles west, there\’s a butcher shop. The owner deals with meat, he should have a rather precise scale. You could just put your baby on the meat scale, and the weight reading you\’ll get should be pretty accurate.\”
And so the father departed westward. After much walking, with his newborn child cardled safely in his arms, he finally arrived at the butcher shop. He explained his dilemma to the shop owner, to witch the latter replied:
\”Don\’t worry, friend. It\’s not even a problem, I\’ll check it for you, free of charge.\” And so he took the child to the back, where the scale was located.
The father heard rumbling noises, and some scraping.. About a minute later the butcher came back.
\”About three pounds boneless\” He said.
Don Stab
If you love yourself, dare not to take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time