File
The Democratic Alliance has announced a two-pronged strategy to end the use of pit latrines in thousands of schools across the country.
DA leader, John Steenhuisen, made the announcement on Human Rights Day on Tuesday, following a visit to the family and school of four-year-old Langalam Viki, the latest child victim to perish after falling into the pit latrine at the school in Mngcqangele Village near Komani in the Eastern Cape.
He said the tragic incident earlier this month sent shock waves across the country.
SAPS have opened an inquest docket.
“The DA will be starting litigation proceedings to find the quickest and most effective means to instruct governments across the country to erect proper sanitation facilities for all school children as a fundamental human right,” Steenhuisen said.
The second leg of the strategy will see MP and spokesperson on Education, Baxolile Nodada, launching a country-wide campaign to end pit latrines, which will include oversight visits to inspect all school infrastructure, or a lack thereof, which may place the life of a child at risk.
“This campaign kicked off today (TUES) where we sought to assess the sanitation facilities at Mngcqangele school where little Langalam tragically died,” Steenhuisen said.
He said it was clear that while the ANC national government has cut education budgets to bail out ailing state-owned entities, “it does not care that young children do not have a safe place to relieve themselves in dignity, without the threat of death.”
