The DA in Limpopo has written to the South African Human Rights Commission on the terrible state of the ablution facilities at Rivubye High School in Valdezia.
The DA conducted an oversight visit to the school and discovered that the toilets are dilapidated, filthy and unsafe. Some toilets have no doors and the floors are constantly waterlogged with dirty water. View photos here, here, here, here and here
The school has 809 enrolled learners but only has 4 dilapidated toilet blocks with no doors and in some instances learners have to shield each other when they use the toilets. The school is still heavily dependent on pit toilets and some of the toilets have a damaged roof that leaks during the rainy season and the lack of basins for handwashing poses a health risk to learners.
The school has not received any real assistance from the department and are seemingly told year after year to use their norms and standards funds to improve sanitation at the school and remove pit toilets. These funds are inadequate and must also be used for other responsibilities around the school.
The Limpopo Department of Education has failed to ensure that this school has appropriate sanitation and must urgently address the dire situation surrounding the poor sanitation and pit toilets in the province’s schools.
Given the non-responsiveness of Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya on key issues affecting learners, we have written to SAHRC to protect the rights of learners at the school.
The DA will continue the fight to ensure that all learners receive a quality education in a safe, dignified environment and will continue to monitor the situation at Rivubye High School to ensure that conditions at the school improve.