Ramaphosa’s Major Drive to Rid Schools of Pit Toilets with Golf Funds
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says 70% of all the proceeds raised from the annual Presidential Golf Challenge will be spent on a national campaign to eradicate pit latrines at schools. The President made the announcement at the Presidential Golf Challenge gala dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday. “The Cyril Ramaphosa […]
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says 70% of all the proceeds raised from the annual Presidential Golf Challenge will be spent on a national campaign to eradicate pit latrines at schools.
The President made the announcement at the Presidential Golf Challenge gala dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday.
“The Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation has decided that of the money that is being raised here today, 70% of it is going to go towards supporting a national campaign to ensure that we get rid of pit latrines,” he said.
In August last year, the President, together with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, launched the SAFE initiative, rallying leaders of business to pledge their support towards the eradication of pit latrines in schools.
At the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said nearly 4 000 schools still have inappropriate sanitation facilities.
Since the launch of SAFE, 699 schools have been provided with safe and appropriate sanitation facilities. Projects in a further 1 150 schools are either in planning, design or construction stages, the President said.
During his speech, the President remembered Michael Komape, who drowned in a pit toilet at Mahlodumela Primary School in Limpopo in 2014, and Lumka Mkethwa, from Luna Junior Primary School in the Eastern Cape, who lost her life in March last year under the same circumstances.
Addressing guests at the gala dinner, the President said with 70% of the proceeds going towards the pit latrine eradication campaign, the remaining amount will be spent towards the upskilling of teachers and the incubation of small to medium size enterprises.
- SAnews.gov.za