RESIDENTS of Khayelitsha’s YB and YT sections are worried . . .
Their kids will get sick because the public toilets don’t have doors, and they blame the municipality for this, saying its plumbers won’t fix them!
“We cover the toilet seats with concrete blocks to protect kids from illness,” said local leader Noluvo Zweni.
The toilets apparently became blocked between August and October, but when thugs stole the doors the situation became worse.
“Kids dip their hands inside toilet seats that are covered with faeces and risk catching diseases,” said Zweni.
“When the toilets got blocked, we reported this to officials and caretakers. But city plumbers never showed up.”
When a toilet is flushed, water gushes from the pipes and spews all over the inside and outside of the toilets.
“Kids play with it, not knowing it endangers their health,” she said.
Another local leader, Xolani Dastile, said the blocks on the seats show passersby that the toilets are damaged.
“Residents from other sections relieve themselves in the blocked toilets if they’re not covered. When they’re removed, flies buzz around and a stench fouls up the air.”
The locals clean the toilets themselves . . .
Community leaders occasionally hire local plumbers to fix the blocked toilets, broken toilet tanks and pipes.
“We pay them R180 to fix the toilet tank so it can flush again,” Dastile said,
Councillor Anda Ntsodo said: “A project manager will arrange to meet with the ward councillor this week to investigate all complaints.”
He urged them to report such cases on 0860 103 089.
