OUTA report exposes National Lottery school toilet mess   

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has released a report documenting gross misappropriation of funds meant to construct or upgrade ablution facilities at schools in Limpopo.

According to the report, entitled “Where did the money go?”, Zibsifusion was awarded R10million by the National Lottery Commission (NLC) to improve sanitation in 10 public schools. However, Zibsifusion admitted in a report: “The Sanitation Programme” to the NLC that only eight schools were worked on.

In May this year, OUTA visited the eight schools mentioned in the company’s report to determine the extent of the ‘work’ done. OUTA’s investigation shows that none of these schools have adequate toilets as reported by the company. 

“During this visit, it became glaringly obvious that the work claimed to have been done was nowhere near the reality on the ground. The funds released by the NLC were far beyond the cost of the material used and that of putting up the shoddy structures, says Dominique Msibi. OUTA’s Portfolio Manager for Special Projects. “OUTA uncovered the truth and connected the dots”.    

This is what OUTA’s investigation uncovered:

• At Ngwanabahlalerwa Primary School, the construction was half way complete. The construction started on the 15 April 2019 and was expected to be complete by the end         of April 2019. 

• At Tibanefotein Primary School, the toilets were completed by the 25 April 2019, but not yet in use as several issues need to be fixed.

• At Ncheleleng Secondary School the toilets were complete, but we were unable to confirm whether they are in use, by students, because the principal kept them locked.         Photos show that there is toilet paper in the toilets; as well as spent toilet roll shells. This raises the suspicion that these toilets are reserved for teachers.

• At Reahlahlwa primary school, there were no toilets but the foundation for one disabled toilet had been dug, despite detailed plans that indicate 11 toilets were to be         built.   

• At Nthabalala Primary School, no toilets were constructed. On the 3 June 2019, T2 Tech Engineers visited the school to assess the site. 

• At Tshilapfene Primary School, the toilets were still under construction and nowhere near being completed. The service provider had to complete the roofing and         plumbing.

• At Tshikhovokhovo Primary School, construction started at the beginning of May 2019. During OUTAs visit, only the foundation for the toilets was done.

• At Waterval High School, there was no construction of new toilets. Rather, the existing toilets were renovated. The ‘renovations' included replacing toilet bowls that were         not damaged, painting the walls, shabbily tiling the floor and mounting cheap doors that started falling apart a few weeks after being mounted. On 26 April 2019, the         ‘handover' of the ‘renovated' and supposedly newly built toilets were to take place. DBE representatives were dissatisfied by what they saw, and the handover was         postponed indefinitely.

For the full report click here: OUTA report into the Limpopo Schools – “Where did the money go”

For the infographic connecting the dots click here: Infographic – relationships – “Connecting the dots”