By Doreen Mokgolo
- Unpaid contractors have stopped cleaning portable toilets in Ekurhuleni’s informal settlements.
- Some residents are now emptying toilets themselves to avoid health risks.
The Democratic Alliance has reported the City of Ekurhuleni to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for not paying companies that clean portable toilets.
Some toilet cleaning companies haven’t been paid properly for the past year, leaving many informal settlements without proper sanitation services.
The problem started in Tembisa last September when toilet cleaning became irregular.
The DA’s Solly Msimanga said some informal settlements are more than 16 years old but still don’t have proper toilets.
“Government is spending a lot of money towards the temporary services. This is money that could be channelled towards proper infrastructure. It doesn’t look like there is political willingness, and now we are seeing people killing each other over contracts,” he said.
Msimanga warned that companies might stop their services completely.
“When the bucket toilets are not cleaned, it may lead to a health disaster like a cholera outbreak. We are urging the SAHRC to intervene and hold the department accountable for violating the residents’ rights to access sanitation services,” he said.
Resident Jackina Lekalakala said they’ve taken matters into their own hands.
“Our toilets have not been drained in the last three months, so I decided to do it myself.
“I dug up a hole in my yard and drained the refuse into a bucket, which we then transferred into the hole to be able to use the toilet. We had no choice but to do this.”
But City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini denied there were payment problems.
“We have a service agreement with contractors. They provide the service and then submit invoices, which are paid within 30 days. We had some delays in the past, but all the service providers have been paid and all the areas are serviced,” he said.
Pictured above: DA members.
Source: Supplied
