A year ago residents of Khayelitsha’s Enkanini squatter camp were moved onto their own properties in neighbouring Zwelitsha to make way for an extension to the Khayelitsha – Cape Town railway line.Each household was provided with an enclosed toilet and were to get title deeds to the land they’re on.
But many of the residents of the 800 properties say their toilets don’t work, drains are blocked, taps were never installed and the structures are falling apart.
And with less than a month to go before the contractor Requad Construction signs off from the area, the facilities will remain unfinished and in disrepair.
As a result of the broken and blocked toilets the streets of what is supposed to be a model new development are soiled with faeces and dirty water from blocked drains.
And because the water-taps in some yards have not even been fitted, some residents have to rely on their neighbours for water, creating friction in the community.
“We are happy with what the government is trying to do but these toilets are not working. Mine only took two weeks before it was blocked and I am the only one who used it,” said unhappy resident Luvuyo Tokhwe, 33.
Zukiswa Philiso, 37, said the wall around her toilet had a huge crack and people could see through, no tap had been fitted to her water pipe and her toilet was not connected.
She said she had told the construction company three months ago but nothing had been done yet.
Julia Stofile, 45, said out of 13 toilets erected on stands in Philakuzenzela Street where she lives, only three of them were working.
“This worries me so much because I have children and I cannot keep on asking the neighbours for the toilet because they are also worried that their toilets might block,” said Stofile.
She said she was so happy with her toilet at first and even after it was blocked, she “kept on cleaning it every day hoping it was going to be fixed”.
Supervisor of Requad Construction, Dino Cupido, said about 800 toilets have been built in that area but his company was not responsible for maintaining them.
“Our job is to build the toilets and make sure every one owns a toilet,” said Cupido. However, ANC ward councillor Nolufefe Gexa said she is not aware of the blocked toilets.
“The residents need to report these matters so that we can help them.” said Gexa
Johan Gerber, City’s Engineering Services in Informal Settlements, said 1600 residents have been moved from Enkanini to Zwelitsha from 2006 to make way for the extension of the Khayelitsha railway line.
He said blocked toilets were a challenge in all informal settlements as residents used newspaper rather than toilet paper, although they could not blamed for this if they could not afford toilet paper.
Gelber said the city was not aware of cracked toilet enclosures or unfinished work.
“But once the contactor is done we will let our people to check those toilets and the constructor would have to fix them,” he said.
He said residents needed to report blocked toilets and drains to the city so they could be fixed.
– West Cape News
But many of the residents of the 800 properties say their toilets don’t work, drains are blocked, taps were never installed and the structures are falling apart.
And with less than a month to go before the contractor Requad Construction signs off from the area, the facilities will remain unfinished and in disrepair.
As a result of the broken and blocked toilets the streets of what is supposed to be a model new development are soiled with faeces and dirty water from blocked drains.
And because the water-taps in some yards have not even been fitted, some residents have to rely on their neighbours for water, creating friction in the community.
“We are happy with what the government is trying to do but these toilets are not working. Mine only took two weeks before it was blocked and I am the only one who used it,” said unhappy resident Luvuyo Tokhwe, 33.
Zukiswa Philiso, 37, said the wall around her toilet had a huge crack and people could see through, no tap had been fitted to her water pipe and her toilet was not connected.
She said she had told the construction company three months ago but nothing had been done yet.
Julia Stofile, 45, said out of 13 toilets erected on stands in Philakuzenzela Street where she lives, only three of them were working.
“This worries me so much because I have children and I cannot keep on asking the neighbours for the toilet because they are also worried that their toilets might block,” said Stofile.
She said she was so happy with her toilet at first and even after it was blocked, she “kept on cleaning it every day hoping it was going to be fixed”.
Supervisor of Requad Construction, Dino Cupido, said about 800 toilets have been built in that area but his company was not responsible for maintaining them.
“Our job is to build the toilets and make sure every one owns a toilet,” said Cupido. However, ANC ward councillor Nolufefe Gexa said she is not aware of the blocked toilets.
“The residents need to report these matters so that we can help them.” said Gexa
Johan Gerber, City’s Engineering Services in Informal Settlements, said 1600 residents have been moved from Enkanini to Zwelitsha from 2006 to make way for the extension of the Khayelitsha railway line.
He said blocked toilets were a challenge in all informal settlements as residents used newspaper rather than toilet paper, although they could not blamed for this if they could not afford toilet paper.
Gelber said the city was not aware of cracked toilet enclosures or unfinished work.
“But once the contactor is done we will let our people to check those toilets and the constructor would have to fix them,” he said.
He said residents needed to report blocked toilets and drains to the city so they could be fixed.
– West Cape News
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