Amnesty International says death of Unecebo Mboteni (3) can’t be buried in silence

Amnesty International South Africa said it cannot allow the death of 3-year-old Unecebo Mboteni to be buried in silence or forgotten in the shadows.

The little boy died after falling into a pit toilet at a pre-school in Mdantsane in April 2024.

The NGO has criticised the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the daycare centre for not taking responsibility for the incident.

It's urging the Department of Basic Education to include early childhood development (ECD) centres in its audit after ECDs were recently shifted to the department.

The NGO's Alicia Jooste said the case is part of their global Write for Rights campaign, which mobilises thousands of people to demand accountability in cases of injustice.

"I think, what we are trying to raise awareness through this case is that we don't know how many pre-schools are actually using pit toilets because to date, the focus has been the use of pit toilets at primary and secondary schools.

“So, through this campaign, we are also hoping that the department will announce an immediate audit into how many ECD centres are using pit toilets and to also put a plan in place to ensure their immediate eradication."

ALSO READ: Amnesty International demands speedier probe into pit toilet death of 3-year-0ld Unecebo Mboteni

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