Lumka Mketwa
“Who will honor the city without a name
If so many are dead … “ Czeslaw Milosz, “City Without a Name”
“Childhood? Which childhood?
The one that didn’t last?” Li-Young Lee, “A Hymn to Childhood”
On Monday, March 12, 2018, five-year-old Lumka Mketwa went to the toilet at her school, Luna Primary School, in Bizana‚ in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. She never returned. She wasn’t found until the next day. When authorities “reported” her death, they said her name was Viwe Jali. Lumka Mketwa went to the bathroom and drowned in a pool of human shit. No one even noticed until she didn’t show up for her after school transport. Then her parents and the community searched frantically. They found her the next day. The State never came. The parents did, and when they finally found her, the State refused her the dignity of her own name. They might as well have named her Michael Komape, the five-year-old child who, in 2014, drowned to death in a pit latrine at the Mahlodumela Primary School, in Limpopo, South Africa. In the Eastern Cape, as in Limpopo, the State never came. The State refused to acknowledge and refused to act. As with Michael Komape, Lumka Mketwa did not fall to her death in a pit latrine. She was pushed, by a State that decided it had more important issues to deal with. In 2014, five-year-old Michael Komape did not fall to his death. He was murdered. In 2018, five-year-old Lumka Mketwa did not fall to her death. She was murdered.
And then the speeches began. The South African Human Rights Commission pronounced, “Only three years after the tragic and preventable death of 5-year-old Michael Komape‚ the failure of the State to prevent a reoccurrence and to eradicate the prevalence of pit latrines in schools is unacceptable.” Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga expressed “shock”, “The death of a child in such an undignified manner is completely unacceptable and incredibly disturbing.” The provincial education spokesperson first noted that the Executive Council had donated to the child’s funeral and then went on to say that what was truly “shocking” was that Luna Primary is “a state-of-the-art school, with good toilets” and yet, somehow, pit latrine toilets. Everyone is “shocked.”
According to the most recent National Education Infrastructure Management System report, published in January 2018, 37 Eastern Cape schools have no toilets whatsoever. None. 1,945 Eastern Cape schools have plain pit latrines, and 2,585 have so-called ventilated pit latrines. The Eastern Cape has 5393 schools.
Of the nine provinces, only the Eastern Cape has schools with no toilets whatsoever. But, of the 23,471 schools under the aegis of the national Department of Basic Education, 4358 have only pit latrines. KwaZulu-Natal’s 5840 schools boast 1337 schools with only pit latrines, while of Limpopo’s 3834 schools, 916 have only pit latrines. Of the 4056 schools in Gauteng, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape, none has only a pit latrine. None. Zero. This is the state of the art.
Lumka Mketwa’s family has serious questions. We all should have serious questions, rather than hollow condolences. Let’s start with the children who have not yet fallen to their deaths into schoolhouse pit latrines. At the very least, where is the map of these latrines? Where is the actual action plan to remove all of those death traps? Where is the Day Zero for school house pit latrines? Why is this not a national emergency? How many more children have to die and how many more families have to be haunted? Michael Komape’s family is haunted, to this day. Lumka Mketwa’s family is haunted. The State is not haunted. If it were, it would act.
“Her name is Lumka Mketwa and she is five years old.” She now resides in that city without a name where so many children are dead. Which children? Which childhoods? Who will honor Michael Komape? Who will honor Lumka Mketwa?
(Photo Credit: Times Live)
Ministers head should roll over pit latrine deaths https://www.news24.com/Columnists/MelanieVerwoerd/ministers-head-should-roll-over-pit-latrine-deaths-20180322
Basic Education vows to embark on audit for pit toilets https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/basic-education-vows-to-embark-on-audit-for-pit-toilets-13983954
Education Dept plans to fast-track provision of safe toilets at schools http://ewn.co.za/2018/03/22/education-dept-plans-to-fast-track-provision-of-safe-toilets-at-schools
This is a horrible problem and one that the UN recognized in Sustainable Development Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation. It is also affects women and girls disproportionately affecting their health and education and economic development as a result.
Plans to fix infrastructure in schools aren’t being implemented https://mg.co.za/article/2018-03-23-plans-to-fix-infrastructure-in-schools-arent-being-implemented
Fire “Minister of Broken Promises” says Equal Education https://www.groundup.org.za/article/fire-minister-broken-promises-says-equal-education/
Failed sanitation at schools violates children’s rights http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/604/175832.html
‘Silent massacre’ of SA’s children is preventable https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/opinion/silent-massacre-of-sas-children-is-preventable-14661288
Donated toilet set alight at school where girl drowned in pit latrine https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/donated-toilet-set-alight-at-school-where-girl-drowned-in-pit-latrine-20180525
EC schools need billions to replace pit latrines https://www.health-e.org.za/2018/06/07/ec-schools-need-billions-to-replace-pit-latrines/
42 years later, learners are still dying https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2018-06-15-42-years-later-learners-are-still-dying/#.WyOjYS-ZNsM
Finally – urgent new plan to eradicate pit toilets at schools to be unveiled https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-07-31-finally-urgent-new-plan-to-eradicate-pit-toilets-at-schools-to-be-unveiled/
Ramaphosa launches school sanitation initiative to remove pit toilets http://ewn.co.za/2018/08/14/ramaphosa-launches-school-sanitation-initiative-to-remove-pit-toilets
La muerte de una niña en la letrina del colegio empuja a Sudáfrica a renovar sus instalaciones https://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-muerte-nina-letrina-colegio-empuja-sudafrica-renovar-instalaciones-201808150232_noticia.html
After Drownings, South Africa Vows to Fix Pit Toilets in Schools https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/14/world/africa/south-africa-school-toilets.html
Parents have to build toilets for Eastern Cape school https://www.groundup.org.za/article/parents-have-build-toilets-eastern-cape-school/
South Africa: Students look for alternatives to unusable toilets https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/south-africa-students-alternatives-unusable-toilets-181111114403358.html
Near death in a school pit toilet https://city-press.news24.com/News/near-death-in-a-school-pit-toilet-20181110
Parents building school toilets for their kids https://www.health-e.org.za/2018/11/19/parents-building-school-toilets-for-their-kids/
#WorldToiletDay: Give pupils dignity and safety by providing toilets https://mg.co.za/article/2018-11-19-worldtoiletday-give-pupils-dignity-and-safety-by-providing-toilets
29(1)(a) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oMyYT1ZqQ
Deadly pit toilets and the right to a basic education https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-12-02-deadly-pit-toilets-and-the-right-to-a-basic-education/
Campaigning for the dignity of children, Anele Mdoda ramps up support to eradicate pit latrines https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/campaigning-for-the-dignity-of-children-anele-mdoda-ramps-up-support-to-eradicate-pit-latrines-20190615
Government to defend lawsuit from family of toilet-drowning victim https://city-press.news24.com/News/government-to-defend-lawsuit-from-family-of-toilet-drowning-victim-20190713
Eastern Cape education department intent on addressing inadequate infrastructure https://city-press.news24.com/News/eastern-cape-education-department-intent-on-addressing-inadequate-infrastructure-20200229
Eastern Cape school’s infrastructure horror https://www.newframe.com/eastern-cape-schools-infrastructure-horror/
Budget cuts mean SA’s school pit toilet crisis is far from over https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-11-26-budget-cuts-mean-sas-school-pit-toilet-crisis-is-far-from-over/
Pit latrine shame has plagued us for decades https://www.heraldlive.co.za/opinion/2021-03-17-pit-latrine-shame-has-plagued-us-for-decades/
Court fines former Eastern Cape principal R4,000 for lowering learner into pit toilet https://www.groundup.org.za/article/court-fines-former-eastern-cape-principal-r4000-lowering-learner-pit-toilet/
SAHRC to take legal action over pit latrines at schools https://www.algoafm.co.za/local/sahrc-to-take-legal-action-over-pit-latrines-at-schools
“When you return to class the smell of the poo remains in your clothes” http://www.groundup.org.za/article/pit-latrines-daily-hazard-eastern-cape-schools/