Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced on 6 July 2026 that all pit-toilet eradication projects from the 2018 SAFE audit have been completed, benefiting over three million learners.
On Monday, 6 July 2026, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube made the announcement during an oversight visit to Dimbaza Primary School in the Eastern Cape. She stated that all 3,372 schools on the SAFE list now have safe sanitation facilities.
Gwarube noted that the milestone honours children like Michael Komape, Lumka Mkhethwa and Langalam Viki, who died in pit latrines. She added that some schools may still face issues not covered in the 2018 audit.
Civil society groups including SECTION27, Equal Education and Amnesty International South Africa welcomed the progress but warned that an outdated database means around 3,000 schools may still rely on unsafe sanitation. They called for a new national audit and monitoring system.
