For the past five years, more than 800 learners and staff at Seetsa sa Kgwedi Primary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, have been living with recurring sewage spills on the school grounds.

School governing body (SGB) chairperson, Kehwile Ramaru told Health-e News that three learners in Grades R to 3 fell ill during school hours in recent weeks with stomach cramps and nausea. Parents were called to take them to a local clinic. Ramaru also confirmed reports that kitchen staff have had to seek treatment at Block X Clinic in recent months after experiencing symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. 

Health-e News could not establish whether the illnesses were caused by exposure to the sewage, but staff have expressed their concern about a possible link. 

When Health-e News visited the school on 17 August, kitchen staff were busy preparing meals, as part of the National School Nutrition Programme, close to sewage spills, while wastewater pooled around parts of the school and close to a tap used by learners for drinking water. 

There was an overwhelming smell from the sewage leakage, with flies visible across the school grounds. But for staff and learners it was business as usual.

Video footage seen by Health-e News shows young learners jumping over a sewage spill and in a second video, more learners can be seen stepping on a brick placed in sewage water by school staff to prevent them from walking through the wastewater. 

At a drinking-water tap, wastewater had pooled nearby and was running around the base of the tap.

Health-e News also observed three main drainage points that were blocked in and around the school grounds. One is situated about 100 metres from classrooms, another about 10 metres from the foundation phase block, and the third outside the school grounds without a lid.

‘We can’t stop cooking’

A kitchen staff member, who asked not to be named, says the conditions become worse during summer when it rains.

“During summer when it rains, the rocks are slippery, learners also trip over sewage. The flies and mosquitoes are uncontrollable,” she says.

She says learners, teachers and staff frequently get sick and they are concerned that it is caused by the sewage exposure. 

“We’ve been experiencing a lot of vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever especially during summer. Learners and teachers get sick all the time at this school,” she says.

Parents have also tried to help clean the affected areas.

“Parents always come to school to try and help to clean, but their efforts are just a waste as the sewage never stops. We can’t stop cooking as other learners depend on the meals for survival,” says the kitchen staff member.

Kitchen staff also have to navigate the sewage while working.

“Sometimes we fall inside the sewage,” she says.

The school governing body says the blockages also affect learner attendance.

“When it’s blocked, some learners are absent,” says Ramaru.

‘This is a constant problem’

“This is a constant problem,” says Ramaru.

He says the school has repeatedly reported the blockages and has received temporary assistance from the City of Tshwane to unblock the sewer. But the problem keeps returning.

“Whenever we report blockages, it takes the city days before the teams arrive, and this causes a health hazard to learners, employees, and the environment too,” he says.

“We’ve been pleading with the Department of Education to also intervene. This is not a conducive environment for learners, teachers, and school staff.”

Ramaru says the school does not owe the municipality for services, but sometimes has to pay private service providers when the sewage problems are not resolved.

“Our municipal bills are unbelievably expensive. Sometimes we get high rates even during school holidays when no one is at school.”