Limpopo Education Department Set to Miss Pit Toilets Deadline

Learners say they sometimes relieve themselves in bushes rather than use the filthy pit toilets.

• The Limpopo Department of Education has until 31 March to eradicate all pit toilets in the province.
• But at Rivuybe High School in Valdezia village, there is no sign this will happen.
• Learners rely mostly on six pit toilets which are filthy.
• Mobile toilets rented by the department are also filthy, and learners often prefer to relieve themselves in bushes.

The Limpopo Department of Education is set to miss its 31 March deadline to get rid of unhygienic and dangerous pit toilets in Vhembe. At Rivubye High School in Valdezia village, learners are forced to use foul-smelling pit toilets or relieve themselves in nearby bushes.

While teachers have access to proper flushing toilets, the 888 learners, from Grades 8 to 12, rely mostly on three blocks of pit toilets, each with two stalls.

As a temporary measure, the Limpopo Department of Education rented seven VIP mobile toilets, but these are poorly maintained. The temporary toilets are not cleaned regularly, and the chemicals are not replaced.

Learners who spoke to Limpopo Mirror said using the pit toilets was both frightening and hazardous.

“In summer, the situation worsens as the mobile toilets become even smellier, forcing us to revert to the old pit toilets,” said a Grade 12 learner. He added that many learners try to use the toilet at home before school and then endure the entire day without relieving themselves.

School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson Glenda Furumele acknowledged the seriousness of the sanitation problem but said media coverage would not lead to immediate action.

Another SGB member, speaking anonymously, criticised the lack of urgency. She noted that the pit toilets were full and unusable, while the rented toilets, which cost the department R15,000 a month, were also neglected.

“The mobile toilets are smelly and unhealthy. We have sent multiple letters, but nothing has been done,” she said, adding that divisions within the SGB were hindering efforts to resolve the issue.

Despite these challenges, Rivubye High School achieved an impressive 97.3% pass rate for Grade 12 in 2024, making it the top-performing school in the Vhembe West Elim Circuit.

Department of Education spokesperson Mike Maringa said the school is on the department’s Priority List 2, meaning it will only receive assistance after Priority 1 schools have been addressed.

“Rivubye and other schools on Priority List 2 will be attended to in the 2025/26 financial year,” Maringa said, adding that the cost of renting mobile toilets varied by district and was determined through a quote system. “The chemical toilets will remain in use until proper infrastructure is provided.”

On 17 March, the Public Service Association (PSA) revisited the school and found little progress in resolving the sanitation crisis. The PSA approached the Department of Employment and Labour for an urgent Occupational Health and Safety inspection. The inspection has not yet taken place.

Lawrence Muvhango, the PSA’s Limpopo organisational officer, highlighted poor planning and possible financial mismanagement as concerns. “The PSA calls on the MEC for Education to take urgent action, as the continued use of pit toilets violates the rights and dignity of both learners and educators. We have identified several other schools in Vhembe and beyond that still rely on pit toilets and plan to visit them soon,” Muvhango said.

On 20 March, advocacy group Section27 announced it was monitoring whether the department would meet its 31 March 2025 deadline to eliminate pit toilets at Priority 1 schools.

The deadline follows a 2021 High Court ruling in the Michael Komape case, which ordered the removal of pit toilets from schools. According to Section27, the department’s latest progress report, from November 2024, showed that toilets at twelve Priority 1 schools were still under construction, with completion now expected by March 2025.

Published with Limpopo Mirror

The Department of Education has rented seven temporary toilets but they are not kept clean.

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