South Africa News

Residents protest with buckets of faeces over lack of sanitation in Nyanga

Residents of KTC informal settlement in Nyanga have been forced to empty their buckets full of faeces inside stormwater drains while others resorted to relieving themselves in open fields and bushes for a week.

They alleged that the City had failed to provide an alternative solution after the contract of a company that used to empty and clean their portable toilets expired.

Residents staged a protest on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, blocking a road with buckets full of faeces.

According to community activist Mluleki Arendse, about four sections in the area had been affected by the sanitation nightmare.

“When three days passed without the waste being collected, community leaders from the different areas marched to ward councillor Khaya Yozi’s office to get answers. He informed us about the expired contract and that he was trying to get the City to speedily solve this.

“Days went by and still nothing was done, we were tired of being treated like we are not humans. Even animals don’t live in sticking places filled with maggots, hence we demonstrated,” Arendse said.

Mayco member for water and waste, Xanthea Limberg said the container toilets were last serviced on June 30 and servicing resumed yesterday after the contract administration processes were concluded.

“The City apologises to all affected for the inconvenience during this time and will endeavour to ensure a similar occurrence does not occur in future.

“Law enforcement was on the scene first as the protest was likely reported to them first.

“The maintenance vehicle to clean the roads was also sent in following engagements with the law enforcement team on site,” she said.

Good party secretary-general Brett Herron said the fact that the City had more law enforcement capacity than sanitation services “portrays the kind of government they are”.

ANC spokesperson on human settlements Andile Lili, who also previously led sanitation protests in the City, said the City was mistreating residents from poor communities because it believed they were not voting for it.

“As long as the DA is in charge in the City, inhuman cases like this will continue in poor communities. People must stand up against this discrimination and arrogance. If I was in KTC yesterday I would have joined the protesters,” he said.

Lili was among the Ses’khona People’s Rights movement members who in 2013 allegedly threw human waste at one of the entrances to Cape Town International Airport, and were involved in a similar incident on the steps of the Western Cape Legislature.

This was in protest against the portable toilets provided.

-Cape Times

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Zola7

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