Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube and Limpopo Education MEC, Ms Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, on 4 April 2025, handed over newly built toilets as part of the Department’s continued efforts to ensure that learners and teachers have access to safe and dignified sanitation in schools. Minister Gwarube and MEC Lerule-Ramakhanya monitored progress at Maguada Primary School in the Vhembe West District, Louis Trichard, whilst handing over newly built toilets at Ludane Primary School, also in the Vhembe West District.

In addition, Minister Gwarube officially announced the Department’s progress in the eradication of pit latrines across the country. This forms part of the commitment to be on the ground during the final phase of the eradication of pit latrines in schools that remain on the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative backlog list.

“Today, it is my duty to announce that of the pit toilets identified in the SAFE Initiative's 2018 audit, as of 31 March 2025, we have eradicated 96%. This is significant progress from 7 years ago when Government identified nearly 3,372 schools across the country which relied on these dangerous structures. Today, we have 141 of those identified toilets left. Our goal was clear: to ensure 100% eradication of the identified pit toilet backlog identified under the SAFE Initiative. We came very close, but we came 4% short. However, I take comfort in the fact that 90 out of the 141 will be completed in April, May and June, therefore by July 2025 we will be over the 98% completion rate and within touching distance of the 100% eradication of the SAFE Initiative backlog. I want to assure the nation that we are doubling our efforts to ensure that these final numbers are urgently completed”, the Minister said.         

As part of the 2024 Guidelines on Infrastructure Maintenance, schools must prioritise toilet upkeep. Maintenance budgets must be ring-fenced, in line with the 80/20 principle, which requires Provincial Education Departments to spend 20% of their budgets on non-personnel items, like school infrastructure and maintenance. Furthermore, district officials, school principals and School Governing Bodies need to be held accountable for ensuring that school facilities, including school sanitation facilities, are well-maintained and functional so that these facilities can remain safe and dignified spaces for our learners.

To assist the Basic Education Sector to eradicate pit latrine toilets in schools, the DBE launched a Safe Schools app – a digital platform developed and donated by Vodacom South Africa to empower users to report unsafe toilets in schools, monitoring progress on their removal and provide real-time feedback on infrastructure improvements. By enabling the public to crowd-source information about unsafe toilets not identified for the purposes of the SAFE initiative, PEDs, together with the DBE, will have access to current data necessary to inform budgeting, planning and implementation of school sanitation projects. The Safe Schools app can be accessed via https://safeschools.gov.za/