PORT ELIZABETH, October 13 (ANA) – Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has vowed to remove every single bucket toilet in the metro by the end of December.
The metro’s infrastructure and engineering head, Councillor Anette Lovemore, said that over the past year the metro had removed more than 4000 buckets.
“We will still remove every bucket by the end of December. Where there has been delays, the roll-out of communal sanitation has been scheduled for early 2018, with the immediate installation of chemical toilets as an interim measure.”
Lovemore said that that numerous sanitation options were proposed to residents through public participation processes and it was decided that a communal sanitation solution would be rolled out for those still waiting for homes.
“Each will feature flush toilets, showers and wash basins. Each will be well lit, for safety, and well managed, by community members,” she said.
According to Lovemore, it was calculated in the run up to the local government elections in August last year that approximately 16 000 residents were still using the bucket system.
She said some ward councillors had chosen to mobilise their communities to demand a number of other services, and this had slowed delivery.
“This use of the promised provision of toilets, instead of buckets, as a bargaining tool has delayed the upgrading of their sanitation services and personal dignity. Some have demanded houses before any toilets are provided, while others have demanded electricity. Neither demand is unjustified: it is simply part of a different process, with a different plan and a different budget.”
– African News Agency (ANA)
