A lack of rainfall in certain parts of South Africa has forced the government to deploy water containers in vulnerable schools, in an effort to help the Department of Basic Education ensure that schools are well prepared for the return of the pupils.
During a media briefing held at the Rand Water head office, The Department of Basic Education announced that the department will spend R600 to install water tanks at more than 3,000 schools across the country. The installation of tanks and filling them up will be carried out by water and sanitation, but education will foot the bill, said Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Human Settlements, Water & Sanitation.
“We have been in communication and the responsibility to provide water and to some extent, sanitation rests with us, as per our agreement with the minister of education. We are in a state of preparedness to assist the minister of basic education to have the necessary water in all the schools, said Sisulu.
Sisulu said “the department on its own had already installed water tanks for communities at some school schools because “they are safe areas”. Water and sanitation acting Director-General, Mbulelo Tshangana said the process to deliver the tanks was already underway. Rand Water would act as the department’s implementing agent and employ emergency procurement to seek suppliers.
” It does not make sense to get the children back to school if there is no water. We cannot ask them to wash hands where there is no water, so we will be prioritizing this. The department of education has put an amount of about R600m aside to make sure that all the 3,000-plus schools have water and sanitation, “said Tshangana.
In closing, Sisulu said the water tanks were a temporary measure rather than a sustainable solution. “After the Covid-19 pandemic, the department would let the water tanks stay in place while trying to set up proper infrastructure to provide running water to communities who do not have,” she said.
