South Africa is to eradicate pit latrine toilets from its schools after several deaths in parts of the country.
The country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has now launched a programme to remove all pit latrines from public schools.
The recent deaths of two 5-year-olds who fell into a pit latrine toilet attracted outrage from the nation.
Pit latrine deaths
5-year-old Lumka Mkhethwa drowned in a pit latrine at her school in the Eastern Cape in March this year.
In 2014 another pupil Michael Komape died after falling into a school toilet in the northern province of Limpopo.
Out of every five schools in South Africa, one has pit latrine toilets. These facilities are also poorly constructed endearing the lives of users.
President Ramaphosa declared plans to end the deadly pit latrine system in schools due to these reported deaths.
He was speaking at the launch of the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (Safe) – programme, in the capital Pretoria on Tuesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa confessed that the initiative to remove the pit latrines is because of recent deaths.
The government says removing pit latrines from all schools will now take two years.
Source: Africafeeds.com
