KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala on Thursday said that the promotion of quality education in the province's rural and township schools was necessary for the development of prosperous students. 

He was speaking at the Langalakhe High School in Elandskop, Pietermaritzburg area, as the province started its Mandela Day celebrations. 

Zikalala was joined by KZN education MEC Kwazi Mshengu, and Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Sello Hatang. 

The school received a "SAFE sanitation structure" as part of the celebrations, the result of a partnership between the foundation and Engen Oil. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) initiative in 2018, a public-private partnership to ensure "decent" and "safe" sanitation in 3, 898 of the country's schools deemed in "urgent need" of such.  

The president also pledged to eradicate pit latrines at schools within three years, with finance minister Tito Mboweni allocating R700-million for the 2019/20 financial year to reach the goal. 

Zikalala called the project "great". 

"It's important to provide proper hygiene facilities. Sanitation is important because we must maintain the dignity of our learners and teachers. This will go a long way in alleviating the plight of this school," he said at the Langalakhe launch. 

Hatang said the country had been on "a long journey" to restore dignity to learners and citizens by providing adequate sanitation facilities.  

Zikalala also announced the roll-out of an information and communications technology (ICT) programme in the province, aimed at benefitting rural schools, Langalakhe being one. 

Thursday's launch comes as the national education department faces staunch criticism over re-opening schools as the country enters its anticipated Covid-19 surge. Basic education minister Angie Motshekga is set to meet with unions - which have been calling for schools to close - in the coming days to deliberate the issue. 

The KZN education department has itself faced fierce criticism from unions and parents for resuming lessons before providing schools, teachers and pupils with the necessary infrastructure and personal protective equipment (PPE) to lessen the spread of the virus.