Unecebo Mboteni was a lively three-year-old boy who enjoyed making friends and playing with his toy cars. You could always tell when he was in the room. On 18 April 2024, Unecebo fell into a pit toilet at his pre-school in the Eastern Cape province of SouthAfrica. He died the next day.
Two other children have also died after falling into pit toilets in the Eastern Cape since 2018. However, the tragic loss of these young lives hasn’t been enough to ensure the eradication of all pit toilets in schools, including day care centres. Sadly, a child’s experience of education in South Africa still depends on where they are born, their wealth, and the colour of their skin. As Unecebo’s father said, “My son died in a death trap set up for poor people.”
One year on and the family has had no word from the pre-school or Department of Basic Education about whether the pit toilet that Unecebo fell into has been removed, let alone any progress on the investigation into his death. Instead of answers about how this tragic incident happened, Unecebo’s family have been met with silence.
Unecebo lost his life in a place where he should havebeen safe. His family deserve answers