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By Johnathan Paoli
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has renewed calls for the urgent eradication of pit latrines across the province following a six-year-old boy dying after falling into an unsecured septic tank at Umzila Primary School in Dannhauser.
DA KZN education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi conducted an oversight inspection at the school, alongside local councilors on Monday. He met with the school principal and the School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson to assess the situation.
“From what we’ve seen, Umzila Primary is a neat, well-managed school. The principal and the School Governing Body chairperson explained what transpired, and it appears to have been a tragic accident rather than direct negligence by staff. However, the broader issue lies in systemic infrastructure failures that place children at risk,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
The child reportedly slipped away from the Grade R dismissal line on 6 August and was playing near the school toilets when the accident occurred. The underground septic tank, which had not been properly cordoned off, gave way.
In the aftermath, the school moved quickly to cover the area with metal sheets and rocks as an immediate safety measure.
The oversight visit formed part of the party’s wider campaign to monitor school sanitation across the province.
Speaking after the visit, Mngadi said the tragedy was a stark reminder of the dangers posed by inadequate sanitation infrastructure.
He stressed that the incident underlined the importance of national efforts to eliminate unsafe toilets in schools.
“Minister Siviwe Gwarube has launched a nationwide campaign to eradicate pit latrines. Nationally, we have reached 97% eradication, but KwaZulu-Natal is lagging behind. There are still 254 schools in this province, about 4% of all schools, that rely on pit toilets. Every one of those schools represents children at risk, and every delay is a risk too great,” he added.
The DA has formally written to acting chairperson of the KZN legislature’s education portfolio committee, Hlengiwe Mavimbela, requesting that a full report on the Umzila incident be tabled at the committee’s September meeting.
“It is vital that we get a comprehensive account of what happened and what measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence. The Kunene family deserves closure, and learners across the province deserve safe, dignified facilities,” Mngadi said.
The DA commended private sector stakeholders who have offered assistance to Umzila Primary and other schools in Dannhauser following the incident.
In his on-site remarks, Mngadi reiterated that the visit was not about blame, but about accountability and urgent action.
“We can’t say this was a matter of negligence by school management. But we can say this was preventable if basic sanitation infrastructure had been prioritised. When we don’t get the basics right, we risk tragic instances like this one,” he said.
Mngadi confirmed that the DA would extend its oversight programme to other schools in the province to establish the extent of unsafe sanitation infrastructure and report back to the public.
INSIDE EDUCATION