The DA said Human Rights Day could not be commemorated until every child had access to safe and dignified sanitation at school. Image via Twitter/ @Our_DA
Human Rights Day: DA fights to eradicate pit toilets in schools
The DA said Human Rights Day could not be commemorated until every child had access to safe and dignified sanitation at school.
The DA said Human Rights Day could not be commemorated until every child had access to safe and dignified sanitation at school. Image via Twitter/ @Our_DA
On Tuesday, 21 March, the Democratic Alliance (DA) visited the family of Langalam Viki, whose tragic death by drowning in a pit toilet in Mngcqangele village near Queenstown earlier this month, horrifying the nation.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said that Human Rights Day could not be commemorated until every child had access to safe and dignified sanitation at school.
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ALMOST 30 YEARS INTO DEMOCRACY, CHILDREN STILL LIVE IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS
“No child should have to meet this fate in South Africa almost 30 years since the dawn of our democracy. Over successive years, the DA has asked a number of parliamentary questions around the use of pit toilets in all provinces, the replies to which have shown little to no progress in eradicating this deadly infrastructure,” said Steenhuisen.
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DA SAYS IT WILL TAKE THE GOVERNMENT TO COURT TO ERECT PROPER SANITATION FACILITIES IN SCHOOLS
He added that the party has consulted with its lawyers. He said 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.
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Following the visit to the family of 4-year-old Langalam Viki, who drowned in a school pit toilet, the leader of the DA visited the scene where the tragic incident occurred.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 21, 2023
"Schools should be safe spaces for our children, not their gravesites." – @jsteenhuisen#HumanRightsDay pic.twitter.com/6gedi9wRL8
THREE MEALS A DAY, ACCESS TO HOUSING AND SANITATION
The DA wants all South Africans to have access to three meals a day, access to housing and sanitation.
It is then that South Africans will truly be free.
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THE PARTY SAYS IT WILL ENGAGE WITH MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS
“Given the immense interest in achieving this goal from all sectors of society, we will engage with civil society organisations, public advocacy groups, and non-governmental organisations working in the education space to put together a strong case.
“It is clear that while the ANC national government has cut education budgets to bail out ailing state-owned entities, and presided over government departments where billions have been lost to corruption, it does not care that young children do not have a safe place to relieve themselves in dignity, without the threat of death,” said Steenhuisen.
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