CHILD SAFETY: School water and sanitation crisis drags on as DBE balks at national deadline

More than 3,000 public schools still lack reliable access to running water and adequate sanitation that meets the minimum norms and standards for public school infrastructure, and the national education department will not set a deadline to address this.

This is according to a parliamentary reply from Minister of Basic Education Siviwie Gwarube. Using provincial reports, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) said 1,366 schools rely on mobile tanks or other temporary water supplies, while 2,295 schools require replacement or upgrading of sanitation facilities that “do not meet the minimum norms and standards.” Taken together, that means 3,661 schools are identified as needing water or sanitation interventions.

KwaZulu‑Natal accounts for 1,498 affected schools (40.9% of the national backlog), followed by the Eastern Cape with 1,028 schools (28.1%) and Limpopo with 595 schools (16.3%). Mpumalanga has 230 schools (6.3%), North West 148 (4.0%), the Western Cape 69 (1.9%), the Free State 42 (1.1%), the Northern Cape 26 (0.7%) and Gauteng 25 (0.7%).

The non-ring-fenced billions

The DBE confirmed the Education Infrastructure Grant (EIG) for the 2026 Medium‑Term Expenditure Framework totals R49.954-billion. That sum is divided across three years – R16.257-billion in 2026/27, R16.590-billion in 2027/28 and R17.106-billion in 2028/29. KwaZulu‑Natal receives the largest provincial share in 2026/27 (R3.019-billion), then the Western Cape (R2.622-billion) and the Eastern Cape (R2.319-billion).

According to the reply, the EIG is designed to support the broader public school infrastructure programme, including the provision, maintenance, upgrading and replacement of infrastructure.

“It is not ring-fenced only for water and sanitation backlogs, as provinces must also address other urgent infrastructure needs within available budgets,” read the reply.

Additionally, the department clarified that it did not itself implement provincial school infrastructure projects as provincial education departments were responsible for planning, procuring and implementing school infrastructure projects, including water and sanitation projects. This was in accordance with their provincial infrastructure plans, the applicable grant framework and the regulations relating to minimum uniform norms and standards for public school infrastructure.

Learners outside chemical toilets at Dzivhani Primary School in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, on 9 March 2026. (Photo: Chris Gilili) The department said timelines for individual projects would vary because they depended on multiple factors at the provincial and site level, including verified condition assessments, the availability of funds within provincial budgets, procurement processes and local site conditions such as terrain or access to municipal networks.

For that reason, the DBE declined to set a single national deadline to eradicate the backlog, stating that it would “not be responsible” to promise a date that was not grounded in verified provincial plans and budgets.

“While the eradication of public schools without reliable water and compliant sanitation remains a priority for the sector, it would not be responsible to provide a single national deadline that is not grounded in the verified provincial implementation plans and available budget,” read the reply.

The department added that it would continue to monitor provincial implementation and compliance through the established sector infrastructure monitoring processes.

“Provinces are expected to prioritise schools that do not have a reliable water supply or compliant sanitation. This includes the drilling and equipping of boreholes, the installation of water-storage infrastructure, connection to municipal water supply where available and the provision of temporary water tankering where required pending permanent solutions,” read the reply.

Budget constraints hamper Eastern Cape targets

Responding to questions, Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said that due to budget shortages, the department would address only 131 schools, with a budget of R359.6-million, to be completed by the end of the 2026/27 financial year.

Explaining the department’s operational capacity, Mtima maintained that its existing systems were working effectively, highlighting the adjustment of punitive measures in implementing agent service delivery agreements, the augmentation of the infrastructure unit with additional staff, a strict procurement planning regime with contract concurrence control, the implementation of a payment tranche system for agents, and the close monitoring of projects supported by provincial monitoring and evaluation units.

A pit toilet at Enduku Junior Secondary School in Ngcobo, Eastern Cape. (Photo: Hoseya Jubase) Yet, despite the provincial department’s defence of its systems, the devastating real-world consequences of unfinished sanitation infrastructure surfaced last week. The department is mourning the passing of Ungentant…