The DA in Gauteng has announced that it will lodge a formal complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over the dire sanitation conditions at La Rochelle Primary School in Johannesburg.
According to the DA, learners at the school have been forced to endure unsafe and unhygienic conditions for months. In particular, the toilets are non–functional, and temporary facilities are inadequate.
Just last month, Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) spokesperson Steve Mabona reportedly confirmed that the toilets at La Rochelle Primary School have been refurbished.
He said the main challenge now is connecting the facilities to the bulk services, a process that has already begun.
Department failed to deliver on promises
As a temporary solution, the department provided chemical toilets for learners, which are serviced twice a week, while teachers are using toilets in the school hall which have been temporarily connected to the septic tank.
Despite repeated commitments by the GDE to address the issue, little progress has been made, the party said on Wednesday.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Sergio Isa Dos Santos MPL, said the situation is a “clear violation” of learners’ constitutional rights.
“Learners must rely on chemical pit toilets, which is a clear violation of their fundamental human right to access proper sanitation.
This is yet another broken promise by the department. It continues to disappoint while Premier Panyaza Lesufi fails to intervene,” Dos Santos said in a statement.
Learners’ dignity, health violated
The DA claims that the GDE has had two years to provide proper sanitation facilities at the school. But it has failed to deliver. The party accuses the department of neglecting basic infrastructure maintenance, thereby compromising both the dignity and health of learners.
The opposition party now wants the SAHRC to conduct an urgent investigation into the matter. It argues that the GDE has ignored multiple calls to treat the crisis as a priority.
Dos Santos added that under a DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government, such conditions would not be tolerated.
“We would prioritise immediate infrastructure maintenance. And we would ensure that basic facilities are operational to prevent disruptions to learning and teaching,” he said.
The Gauteng Department of Education has yet to respond to the DA’s statement.
