On Friday, 17 September, the High Court (Limpopo Division) delivered judgment for a second time in the case of Komape versus the Minister of Basic Education, in favour of the arguments presented by Section 27.
The High Court ordered the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Limpopo Department of Education (LDOE) to come up with a comprehensive plan to eliminate the existing pit toilets at schools in Limpopo with immediate effect and install safe and dignified sanitation facilities.
This judgement gave hope to the learners of Bele Primary School in Vuvha village, one of the many rural schools in Limpopo that still uses pit latrines. The school itself is in very poor condition and the parents fear for their children's safety at the school.
SGB chairperson Nndavheleseni Joseph Neguyuni said the school board had written multiple letters requesting the Department of Education to fix the infrastructure at Bele Primary School. "An assessor visited the school in 2018 and recommended that two of the blocks be demolished and the remaining two classrooms be renovated, but until today the school is still using the old classrooms," he said. He further stated that the SGB was tired of the old school. "We want a school that will be safe for our children," he said.
Bele Primary School was built in 1958 and was named after the aunt of the then headman of Vuvha village. Bele is a Quintile 2 school with an average of 339 to 346 learners.
Spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education Ms Tidimalo Chaune confirmed that the school has an infrastructural challenge. "The school is on the district's priority list. However, it is not yet on the approved projects list due to budget constraints. The district office is currently working on alternative interventions, which will be communicated to the school community first, before being made public," Chaune said.