RESIDENTS of Ward 6 have urged the Bulawayo City Council to improve sanitation in government school toilets, citing concerns over pupil health suspected to be linked to an outbreak of diseases.
The Bulawayo Progress Residents Association (BPRA) posted on its X account that a parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the dirt found at a school’s toilets in the city has caused disease outbreaks, as children come home from school feeling sick.
“Our children come home from school feeling sick, and I believe it’s caused by the dirty toilets. The council should at least come and monitor maybe once a week to see for themselves,” she said.
The parent added that toilets in government schools are “very dirty” and urged council to conduct unannounced visits to assess the situation.
Another resident, recounting a youth club’s experience cleaning a nearby school, said the school’s toilets looked as if it had been ages since they were last cleaned.
“There was too much dirt. The toilets looked as if they had stayed for two years without any cleaning being done, especially in primary schools,” the resident said.
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Council has been challenged to address the issue to prevent further health concerns.
Ward 6 councillor Nkosinathi Mpofu said he has not received any reports from residents, adding that the only primary school in his ward is clean and managed by the local authority.
“I haven’t received any reports concerning that. The only school in my ward is Vulindlela Primary School,” Mpofu said.
“The school is clean and is managed by the city council. Maybe it’s a private school or a school that is not under my jurisdiction.”
Ward 9 councillor Donaldson Mabuto said the crisis may be caused by a lack of water supply.
“There are some schools which do not have boreholes at the present moment, and they might be finding it hard to manage the toilets” Mabuto said.
“Some schools in my ward do not have boreholes. Even if we try to investigate, we would need clearance from the Provincial Education director to do so.”