The Human Rights Commission (HRC) in the Eastern Cape says the Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines in the province fall below the safety guidelines of the Water Research Commission (WRC), thus putting the lives of young learners at risk.

The commission released a damning report of school sanitation infrastructure in the province.

The report reveals that the introduced VIP toilets through the Sanitation Appropriate for Education programme meant to replace traditional pit toilets, are non-compliant with critical design and safety standards.

HRC Commissioner Dr Eileen Carter explains, “The commission has also asked that there should be a full implementation of norms and standards of infrastructure we need to make sure that the baseline is covered and we need to make sure that this is not an infrastructure discussion anymore it has to be a constitutional discussion because the rights of children are immediately realisable.”

The provincial Department of Education has refuted the claims that the buildings are not compliant, saying the quality standards of the VIP toilets meet the minimum norms and safety standards.

The Department’s Acting Director for Infrastructure, Tsepo Pefole says, “We don’t necessarily agree with that one. We as government have to always provide all infrastructure according to the national building regulations, in the context of occupational health and safety. But the commission raises a very pertinent question around the guidelines issued by the WRC. Now we need to go and look at how exactly do we synthesize the national building regulations with the guidelines of the WRC.”