The minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga today handed over 42 toilets to the Ubuhle-Bemvelo Primary School in Mtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal.

The handover comes as a result of public-private partnership between the department and Amalooloo to address sanitation in schools in line with the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative.

The initiative, which was launched last year by President Cyril Ramaphosa, aims to address school sanitation challenges faced by some of the country’s poorest schools by leveraging on public-private partnerships.

The Ubuhle-Bemvelo Primary handover

Amalooloo is one of the companies that pledged support and built the 42 toilets at Ubuhle-Bemvelo Primary.

The school, which has 1090 learners, received a donation of 18 toilets for the boys, 18 for the girls and 6 for the Grade Rs.

“The company demolished and provided a temporary solution at the school during the construction of the newly erected toilets.

“The construction is now complete and the toilets are ready for use,” said the department.

SAFE initiative at a glance

According to the Department of Basic Education, since the launch of the SAFE initiative, 787 schools have been provided with safe, age- and grade-appropriate sanitation facilities.

A further 841 schools are in the pipeline and are either in planning, design or construction stages.

“It is important to remember that the eradication of pit-latrines did not start with the launch of the SAFE initiative. The department has since 2000, provided 10 621 schools with upgraded ablution facilities,” department notes.

Private sector intervention

To date, the private sector has pledged R256 million, towards the SAFE initiative.

Additionally, National Treasury has allocated a total of R3.4 billion to the initiative over the 2019 MTEF.

“We have identified clear time frames and delivery models to ensure that while we are delivering sanitation infrastructure, this will also benefit local small businesses,” the department says.

The department adds that it strongly believes that within the next three years, it would have eradicated the remaining 3 898 pit-latrines in schools