Limpopo to face Minister of Basic Education in court
The family of 5-year-old Michael Kompane, who died after falling into a dilapidated pit toilet, will be facing off against the Minister of Basic Education in court this week.
The matter will be heard in the Polokwane High Court.
The incident happened at a school in Chebeng Village in Limpopo in 2014.
The family is being represented by civil society organisation Section 27, and is seeking compensation from the state for trauma, loss of income, expense and grief they suffered due to the loss of their son.
Another civil society organisation, Equal Education, has applied to be admitted as a friend of the court and will give evidence in support of Micheal's family.
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"Michael's tragic death is an extreme example of the dangers and injustices faced by poor learners across South Africa. South African schools remain in places where children struggle to learn in a safe dignified and hygienic environments," says Equal Education in a statement.
The organisation says the state failed to meet the 2016 deadline to publish the Minimum Norms and Standards for schools. The legally binding document is supposed to ensure that no school is without water, electricity or sanitation and that no school is constructed with inappropriate material.