Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels Donates R1,620,000 to Replace Dangerous Pit Toilets at Two Mpumalanga Schools

Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels, in partnership with LottoStar and Breadline Africa, has donated a life-changing R1,620,000 to replace unsafe pit toilets with proper ablution facilities at two underprivileged schools in Mpumalanga.

The initiative will directly benefit hundreds of learners and teachers at Sijabulile Primary School in Mbombela and Ian Mackenzie Secondary School in Bushbuckridge, where children have been exposed daily to unsafe, undignified, and potentially life-threatening sanitation conditions.

Both schools now have brand-new flush toilets, urinals and handwashing stations, providing learners with safe, hygienic and dignified facilities.

The pit toilets that were previously on the premises have been fully demolished.

This donation forms part of a continued partnership between Good Morning Angels, LottoStar, and Breadline Africa to address the ongoing crisis of pit toilets in South African schools.

Breadline Africa, a non-profit organisation with 30 years of experience improving children’s lives, is currently focused on replacing dangerous pit toilets in the country’s hardest-hit provinces, including Mpumalanga, where 57 schools still urgently need assistance, affecting over 37,700 children and 1,191 teachers.

Sijabulile Primary School In Mbombela

208 learners and 8 teachers relied on four inadequate pit toilets with dilapidated roofing, leaking structures, and full pits.

Principal Teresa Maphanga reached out to Breadline Africa for help, describing the facilities as posing a serious health risk to the children.

LottoStar sponsored R790,000 for the complete demolition of the existing pit toilets and construction of brand-new ablution facilities, including flush toilets, urinals, septic tanks, and handwashing basins with running water.

The project includes maintenance for five years.

Ian Mackenzie Secondary School In Bushbuckridge

297 learners share just four pit toilets and eight poorly maintained flush toilets, while 17 teachers and staff shared only two toilets.

Principal Charles Mkhatshwa highlighted the unsafe and insufficient conditions.

LottoStar sponsored R830,000 for the replacement project, which also includes five years of maintenance.

Additional Support For Learners

To further support learners’ wellbeing, Pick n Pay will provide both schools with sanitary towels to the value of R10,000 each, totalling R20,000.

In addition, i’Langa Mall will sponsor a year’s supply of toilet paper for both schools, ensuring that the new facilities remain fully functional and accessible.

The funds were raised through LottoStar’s Santa’s Stash initiative on Jacaranda FM last year.

“Putting working toilets in a school seems like such a basic project but, in the context of South Africa, it’s a lot more profound than that. It’s a case of safety, hygiene and dignity. These children deserve working ablution blocks,” says Martin Bester, host of Jacaranda FM’s ‘Breakfast With Martin Bester’.

“When I hear these stories, it makes me both angry and sad, but we’ve got to take that reaction and turn it into something that is part of solution. I am thankful to LottoStar for donating that enormous amount of money to make this project possible with the help of Breadline Africa. I am thrilled for these two schools and am proud of the Good Morning Angels family for showing up and making a difference.”

Restoring Dignity Through Safe Sanitation

With the new facilities now in place, learners and teachers can focus on education in a safer, healthier environment, a meaningful step forward in restoring dignity and improving daily life at both schools.

Listen to Good Morning Angels every Wednesday morning on Jacaranda FM’s Breakfast With Martin Bester.