South Africa: Thousands of Khayelitsha Families Use Filthy Toilets or an Open Field

Over 3,000 families in Silver Town, Khayelitsha, have been forced to either use filthy, damaged toilets or relieve themselves in a field. Blowy, Sikalekhekhe and Marikana informal settlements have about 340 toilets, but they have not been serviced since 4 October, when the previous cleaners’ contracts expired.

Many toilets have no doors, cisterns or seats. Around them is stinking mud mixed with urine, faeces, garbage and stagnant water – a health hazard that also makes the toilets difficult to access.

Some residents have resorted to using buckets in their shacks and emptying these into the blocked toilets or on the ground outside.

Asanda Lengesi, who lives near the toilets with her partner and two children, complained about the stench and the flies.

“The smell gets worse in summer, so I spend my days at my friend’s place to avoid it,” she said.

According to Lubabalo Msuthu, chairperson of the Winnie Madikizela SANCO branch, there has been a huge reduction in cleaning staff.

“Two years ago, we had about 100 cleaners and two cleaners cleaned one toilet. Their number first decreased to 56 and later to 35,” he said.

“We want to know when the new cleaners will start work,” he said on Tuesday.

Ward 93 Councillor Thando Pimpi (ANC) said he would report the damaged toilets to the superintendent.

“The City responds to damaged or vandalised toilets when we receive service requests,” said Mayco member for Water and Sanitation Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

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He said the City works with a ratio of one janitor per 20 toilets. He told GroundUp on 14 October that the City would hire 17 new janitors and assess the damaged toilets.

On Wednesday, Badroodien responded that janitors signed 18-month skills contracts on Tuesday 12 November “which means services will resume shortly”.

He said most toilets had been fixed except those which were “surrounded by rubble” and therefore currently inaccessible, but those would be attended to.

He blamed the poor conditions of the toilets on the actions of some individuals.

“Unfortunately, besides the damaged or vandalised toilets, we often also find foreign objects and other waste dumped into the toilet which prevents it from being used by community members,” he said.

But residents are fed up with the stink, the unhealthy sanitation and undignified conditions they have been living under.

“If the City can’t maintain the toilets, it must move us elsewhere,” said resident Gugu Zwane.

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