Dirty loo forces primary schoolers to find relief in the bush
Parents at Moamogwa Primary School have expressed growing concern over the health and wellbeing of their children, who are forced to use filthy, disease-breeding toilets that lack basic water supply.
The Voice visited the Ledumadumane-based school this week to see (and smell) the facilities first hand.
The parents were right to be worried!
We arrive to find a situation where most of the school’s 940 students prefer to relieve themselves in the nearby bushes rather than brave the toilets.
While the problem reportedly started at the beginning of the term, three weeks back, the ablution block’s dilapidated state suggests the issue has been brewing for much longer.
The block, which fits 12 toilets in total, is situated a few metres from the school entrance, on the far left side.
Walking towards the area is a challenge on its own due to the thick bush, which raises questions over how the children, some as young as six years old, manage their way through.
When navigating through the footpaths, one has to be extremely careful not to step on small mounds of faeces hidden in the thick grass, leading up to the brick structure which houses the toilets.
The stench hits hard from a distance. The closer we get, the worse it reeks, until we finally reach the mucky toilets, where we are greeted by maggots dancing in pools of urine, the floor flooded with dirty water.
Halfway through this unpleasant tour, one of the students raises her hand and shyly whispers, “Mmamane, ha di bereke, gatwe re rotele ko ntle, (Aunty, the toilets are not working, we were told to pee outside).”
The innocent youngsters seem to have no problem with lining up to do their business in the short grass.
One of the parents informed this publication that some children deliberately choose not to eat or drink at school in order to avoid using the ‘disgusting’ toilets. Others experience physical discomfort and inability to concentrate in class due to having to ‘hold it in’.
When approached for questioning, the school head refused to give an official comment, referring The Voice to the Mogoditshane-Thamaga District Council for enquiries.
The head teacher did confirm she had reached out to the council multiple times and was expecting them to attend to the situation on Wednesday, which they did not.
Wednesday proved a busy day at the council, according to the public relations office, which informed us that all the managers were attending a meeting with the permanent secretary and were therefore unable to attend to the media.
They have promised to respond to our enquiry ASAP. Meanwhile, the toilets at Moamogwa continue to fester.
