The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Siviwe Gwarube, will tomorrow, Wednesday, 19 November 2025, officially commemorate World Toilet Day (WTD) at Tsholetsega Public School in Kagiso, Gauteng. World Toilet Day, observed annually on 19 November, is a United Nations designated observance aimed at raising awareness about safe sanitation, hygiene practices, and the global imperative to end sanitation inequities. For the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the commemoration is a strategic opportunity to highlight progress achieved through the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative, celebrate infrastructure delivery partnerships, and reaffirm the Department’s commitment to ensuring safe, dignified and learner-centred sanitation in schools.
The Minister will showcase how the DBE, operating within a water-scarce national context, views World Toilet Day as an opportune moment to demonstrate alternative, water-efficient sanitation technologies and innovative wastewater treatment solutions that strengthen sustainability and resilience in schools. The event will include practical demonstrations of these technologies ranging from low-flush and water-smart systems to off-grid sanitation models highlighting the Department’s forward-looking commitment to sanitation excellence, restoring dignity and ensuring environmental stewardship and climate-responsive school infrastructure.
Members of the media are invited to attend and will be offered interviews as follows:
Date: Tomorrow, Wednesday 19 November 2025
Time: 10h00
Venue: Tsholetsega Public School, Kagiso, Gauteng
Media enquiries:
Acting Director – Communication and Research: Terence Khala
Cell: 081 758 1546
Media Liaison Officer: Lukhanyo Vangqa
Cell: 066 302 1533
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