More than 50 families from Island in Makhaza in Khayelitsha use one toilet. Since they arrived in the area in 2018, the section C of Island informal settlement hasn’t received toilets.
One resident Luleka Menze said since over 50 families use the same toilet, it likely that the total number of people who use the toilet could be over 100. “These homes have different number of people, some have two, others five. It then means that the toilet is used by more people, probably 100 plus,” said Menze.
The toilet is inside the yard of councilor Masibulele Lodzi who said the toilet is always busy like those from the taxi rank. “It doesn’t matter whether it is at night, morning or in the afternoon, people come to my yard to use this toilet. At one point I thought of removing it from yard or to lock the yard, but I thought about other residents,” said Lodzi.
He said the toilet ended up in his yard by “mistake” since it was “dumped” in the area by someone who was unable to carry it. “Someone was trying to take it to the other side of Island but the bakkie couldn’t pass because of bad roads. He ended up dumping it on us, but no one was willing to put it in their own yard but I took it,” Lodzi said.
Chairperson for section C Ikho Gwebani said the toilet is busy. “It gets full in less than two days because of the amount of people who use it,” said Gwebani. Some residents relieve themselves in plastic bags and through their kak in the nearby reeds.
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MMC for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said they are going to investigate on why the area has no toilets. He said according to their records, Island Informal settlement has 3075 households they supplied them with 660 chemical toilets and 608 portable flush toilets.
“According to the City Water and Sanitation Directorate’s records, there are 3 075 households in the area with 660 chemical toilets, 111 full-flush toilets and 608 portable flush toilets (about one toilet for every two families/households). This meets the national 1:5 ratio (one toilet for every five families/households).
“The area has 176 taps. The City has been made aware of the concerns. The Informal Settlements and Basic Services Branch will need to investigate the matter and will respond in due course,” said Badroodien.
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