Minister Siviwe Gwarube announces 96% eradication of identified pit toilets under SAFE initiative

The Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Siviwe Gwarube, has today announced that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has successfully eradicated 96% of pit toilets identified in the 2018 audit under the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative. Speaking at a national event in Limpopo, the Minister emphasized that this milestone is a result of bold government action, unwavering commitment, and strong partnerships.

“In 2018, the government identified 3,372 schools with unsafe pit toilets. Today, only 141 of those identified remain. While this is significant progress, it is not a victory until every learner has access to safe and dignified sanitation,” said Minister Gwarube.

Progress Across Provinces

The Minister highlighted the provincial breakdown of progress, noting that Gauteng, the Western Cape, and the Northern Cape had no schools identified in the 2018 audit. Other provinces have achieved the following:

North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga – 100% eradication. 
Limpopo – 99.74% eradication (390 of 391 schools completed). 
KwaZulu-Natal – 96.4% eradication (1,209 of 1,254 schools completed). 
Eastern Cape – 93.3% eradication (1,343 of 1,439 schools completed).

The Minister assured the nation that urgent measures are in place to complete the remaining 141 schools, with 90 scheduled for completion by July 2025, pushing the eradication rate beyond 98%.

Challenges and Corrective Actions

The Minister acknowledged delays in donor-funded projects, where only 74% of commitments were met. Moving forward, stalled donor projects will be transferred to provincial education departments for direct oversight. Other delays were caused by severe weather conditions, inaccessible rural roads, construction mafia disruptions, and poor contractor performance.

The Department is taking decisive action, including terminating underperforming contractors and strengthening security for project sites. A New Audit and Community Involvement Recognising that some schools may have been missed in the 2018 audit, the DBE will conduct a new national sanitation audit.

The public is also encouraged to report any remaining pit toilets through the Safe Schools App (safeschools.gov.za), which has already received 166 reports.

Ensuring Long-Term Maintenance 

• The Minister stressed that maintaining newly built facilities is critical. The DBE has implemented strict sanitation management guidelines, including:
• Ring-fencing infrastructure maintenance budgets within Provincial Education Departments.
• Strengthening oversight by district officials, school principals, and School Governing Bodies (SGBs).
• Expanding the National School Hygiene Programme (NSHP) in partnership with Unilever, UNICEF, and GIZ.

Commitment to 100% Eradication

“This government must dare to dream bigger, act faster, and solve problems once considered intractable. While we have made extraordinary progress, our work is not done,” Minister Gwarube concluded.

Minister Gwarube reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to ensuring that no child in South Africa ever has to use unsafe sanitation again.

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Lukhanyo Vangqa
Cell: 066 302 1533 
Spokesperson for the Minister of Basic Education

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