Learners at La Rochelle Primary School in Johannesburg still cannot access safe, hygienic, and dignified sanitation despite the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) commitments to address the problem. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng will report this ongoing sanitation crisis to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
For months, learners have endured inhumane conditions due to non-functional toilets and inadequate temporary facilities.
However, this has turned out to be yet another broken promise by the department, which continues to disappoint, while Premier Panyaza Lesufi fails to intervene. As a result, learners must rely on chemical pit toilets, which is a clear violation of their fundamental human right to access proper sanitation.
Learners at La Rochelle deserve better than a department that cannot deliver proper toilets in two years, thereby failing in its duty to provide quality education, yet is quick to adopt a defensive position when faced with criticism.
The DA will report this matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for an urgent investigation, as the GDE has not heeded any of our calls to treat this as a matter of urgency.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would never allow learners to be subjected to such indignity. We would prioritise immediate infrastructure maintenance and ensure that basic facilities are operational to prevent disruptions to learning and teaching.