JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Basic Education says it has eradicated the pit latrine backlog in schools.
According to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, more than 3,300 schools now have safe toilet facilities.
The next step, she says, is ensuring that the ablution facilities are properly maintained.
READ: Education Dept claims over 90% of schools no longer use pit toilets
However, Gwarube warned that there is still an infrastructure backlog of more than R120 billion.
She acknowledged that the delays have been frustrating.
"I have been clear to the team that we really need to push," she says.
The 3,372 schools that still had pit latrines were identified in a 2018 audit, and the department was determined to eliminate that backlog.