Support the work of the FW de Klerk Foundation
For more information regarding donations contact info@fwdeklerk.org or scan the QR code below
FW DE KLERK FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PARLIAMENT'S CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND FASTER ACTION ON SCHOOL SANITATION
Issued by Daniela Ellerbeck on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 09/06/2026
The FW de Klerk Foundation notes with concern Parliament’s Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries’ criticism about the Department of Basic Education’s communication on school sanitation. The Foundation shares Parliament’s concern that government must present an accurate picture of the challenges that remain. Parliament’s oversight visits to schools in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and North West found that many learners still use unsafe toilets and attend schools without reliable water. No child should face these conditions.
The Foundation has always welcomed progress in replacing pit toilets. At the same time, it has consistently warned that the government cannot celebrate success while many learners still lack safe and reliable sanitation. In 2025, the Foundation commended progress under the Department’s Sanitation Appropriate for Education (“SAFE”) programme, but stressed that every remaining pit toilet still put children’s rights and safety at risk.
“The Foundation has always said that school sanitation is about children, not statistics,” says Daniela Ellerbeck, an attorney and the FW de Klerk Foundation’s Constitutional Rights Programmes Manager. “Every learner has the right to dignity, safety and basic education. Government must give the public an honest picture of the work that still lies ahead.“
The Foundation’s Executive Director, Christo van der Rheede, says, “We welcome every new toilet that gives learners a safer environment. But government must also speak honestly about the schools that still need help. It must fix poor workmanship, improve maintenance and speed up delivery. South Africa cannot afford another tragedy caused by unsafe school toilets.“
The Foundation supports Parliament’s call for greater transparency and faster action. Government should publish clear maintenance plans, report on the remaining backlog and ensure that every school has safe, working sanitation. Learners deserve more than promises. They deserve safe schools that protect their dignity and their future.
A GUIDE ON WHO DOES WHAT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A guide for citizens on who does what in local government
THE CCTSA WINS CULTURAL AWARD
The Centre for the Constitutional Transformation of South Africa (CCTSA) is delighted to announce that it was named winner of the Heritage, Memory and Identity category at this year’s Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards, held in Cape Town on 9 September 2026. The CCTSA is dedicated to telling the story of South Africa’s constitutional journey. The awards, hosted annually by the Western Cape Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, recognise individuals and organisations that make a meaningful contribution to the cultural, linguistic and heritage life of the province.
STATE CAPTURE IS HOLDING BACK SOUTH AFRICA
After Nelson Mandela was elected in 1994 his government abolished racially segregated local authorities, creating ostensibly integrated municipalities. Today these range in size from Johannesburg, the commercial capital, to units like Mpofana that comprise a small town and rural areas. All are supposed to fund themselves through property taxes, business rates and charges for water, electricity and waste collection. The poorest also get a grant from the central government to fill any gap between revenue and expenditure.