Pupils at thousands of schools in South Africa still use pit latrines. Parliament has given the Department of Basic Education 60 days to outline how it will eradicate the dangerous structures.
The parents have children attending Attwell Madala High School, Enduku Junior Secondary, Dudumayo Senior Secondary and Mnceba Senior Secondary. In many cases, they have been fighting overcrowding in vain for the entire duration of their children’s schooling careers.
After years of being subjected to overcrowding, parents of pupils at four Eastern Cape schools went back to court to compel the provincial education department to produce a plan of action on how it will change the situation.
Pit latrines are a daily hazard at Eastern Cape schools. Flies buzz and the smell of excrement hangs over Mtakatye and Lwandile junior secondary schools in Ngqeleni in the Eastern Cape.
Four schools in the Eastern Cape are still waiting for classrooms the Mthatha High Court told the Eastern Cape Department of Education to build more than 18 months ago. Some parents took matters into their owns hands while the matter returned to court.