The City of Cape Town says it is on track with its efforts to enclose more than 1 000 toilets in three informal settlements in Khayelitsha.
In 2009, residents from the informal settlements, particularly Makhaza, took to the streets to protest about unenclosed toilets in their areas.
The city said at the time that residents had agreed to enclose the toilets themselves.
The protests turned rapidly violent, and put the issue of unenclosed toilets firmly in the nation spotlight.
They triggered a political mud-slinging match between the DA-led city and the ANC.
The Human Rights Commission investigated and found the city had breached human rights in failing to enclose the toilets.
In April, Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled in the Western Cape High Court that the city should enclose the 1 316 toilets. He said the open toilets violated residents’ human rights.
At a council meeting in June, mayor Patricia de Lille announced that city officials and facilitators would be meeting residents to enclose the toilets with concrete structures.
This would be done “in compliance with the court order”, she said.
When the Cape Argus visited the areas of Khayelitsha in which the city is enclosing toilets, many residents said they were delighted by the work done so far.
Sandile Sandamsaku, a father of four, said he was overjoyed at having his toilet enclosed.
“It makes my family’s life easier,” he said.
“They came to cover my toilet last month and ever since I’ve been a happy man.”
Ntomentsha Beja, 76, was one of the first applicants who applied for an enclosed toilet. Beja is one of the area’s oldest residents.
“This is what we fought for. It is our right to have these toilets covered.”
A man who was at the centre of the 2009 protests, Andile Lili, said he was pleased that more than two thirds of the toilets built had been enclosed.
Lili, now a proportional city councillor, was an ANC Youth League leader in the Makhaza area and led the residents’ protests against the city.
Lili did say, however, that some residents wanted compensation for the “inconvenience” of using unenclosed toilets at night.
“One of our elderly ladies was stabbed and she is very ill at the moment,” Lili said.
He said the attack on the woman took place before the toilets were enclosed.
Solly Malatsi, De Lille’s spokesman, said 220 of the 298 toilets in Makhaza had been enclosed.
He said Makhaza had been the starting point for the process.
The city would now move to the SS2 and Town 2 informal settlements.
He said the project should be complete by the end of the year.
- Cape Argus
In 2009, residents from the informal settlements, particularly Makhaza, took to the streets to protest about unenclosed toilets in their areas.
The city said at the time that residents had agreed to enclose the toilets themselves.
The protests turned rapidly violent, and put the issue of unenclosed toilets firmly in the nation spotlight.
They triggered a political mud-slinging match between the DA-led city and the ANC.
The Human Rights Commission investigated and found the city had breached human rights in failing to enclose the toilets.
In April, Judge Nathan Erasmus ruled in the Western Cape High Court that the city should enclose the 1 316 toilets. He said the open toilets violated residents’ human rights.
At a council meeting in June, mayor Patricia de Lille announced that city officials and facilitators would be meeting residents to enclose the toilets with concrete structures.
This would be done “in compliance with the court order”, she said.
When the Cape Argus visited the areas of Khayelitsha in which the city is enclosing toilets, many residents said they were delighted by the work done so far.
Sandile Sandamsaku, a father of four, said he was overjoyed at having his toilet enclosed.
“It makes my family’s life easier,” he said.
“They came to cover my toilet last month and ever since I’ve been a happy man.”
Ntomentsha Beja, 76, was one of the first applicants who applied for an enclosed toilet. Beja is one of the area’s oldest residents.
“This is what we fought for. It is our right to have these toilets covered.”
A man who was at the centre of the 2009 protests, Andile Lili, said he was pleased that more than two thirds of the toilets built had been enclosed.
Lili, now a proportional city councillor, was an ANC Youth League leader in the Makhaza area and led the residents’ protests against the city.
Lili did say, however, that some residents wanted compensation for the “inconvenience” of using unenclosed toilets at night.
“One of our elderly ladies was stabbed and she is very ill at the moment,” Lili said.
He said the attack on the woman took place before the toilets were enclosed.
Solly Malatsi, De Lille’s spokesman, said 220 of the 298 toilets in Makhaza had been enclosed.
He said Makhaza had been the starting point for the process.
The city would now move to the SS2 and Town 2 informal settlements.
He said the project should be complete by the end of the year.
- Cape Argus
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