Nestled in dusty streets near Pelican Park, Riemvasmaak informal settlement is home to thousands of residents who received new toilets earlier this month.
However the 25 container toilets were a disappointment to residents. They were hoping to have their old toilets repaired.
An unemployed mother of six, who chose to remain anonymous, says the new toilets are not what residents wanted. “The people didn’t actually ask for these toilets. We wanted to have the flushing toilets repaired. Everyone feels that these new toilets are not hygienic because children are getting sick with diarrhoea.”
The mom, who has been living in Riemvasmaak for 15 years, said residents applied for new toilets after the old had been vandalised.
“After blue toilets (first toilets for the area), we had flush toilets, but people removed the pipes and doors, vandalising the toilets. After that, many people dumped rubble in the toilets. The pipes were clogged and [they were not] working, so we applied for new toilets.”
She further added that there was a need for additional toilets.
“Some residents don’t have toilets because the broken ones are not fixed yet. Another issue in the area is the lack of electricity which makes it unsafe to use the toilets after dark. At night people use buckets because there are no floodlights, so it is not safe to come out after dark.”
Avy Heevle (65), a pensioner with eight grandchildren, told People’s Post that the wait for toilets has been very long.
“There used to be blue toilets and every person had one in their yard. When the City removed the blue toilet, they brought these new ones. There are many other issues, such as electricity. I want to know why half of the people don’t have electricity and the other half has?”
She says the lack of electricity is especially hard during winter.
“Cooking is a problem, especially during winter when kids go to school. Then they have to walk in the dark. Paraffin lamps don’t work for me because I already have an asthma problem.”
Using a key to unlock the door to her toilet, Rachel Wonderin (53) expressed disappointment with the new toilet.
“These toilets are not nice because [they are not] flush toilets, [they are] drums that need to be emptied.”
Meanwhile, PR councillor Shireen August confirmed that 25 new toilets arrived at the informal settlement, with a further two earmarked for disabled residents.
“Residents had flush toilets, but [they were] not in working order. In 2022, I took up the issue of ablution facilities because many people did not have a toilet.
“They were using the bucket system and throwing it out in the drain because there was no other way of disposing of the waste,” she said.
Explaining why residents did not receive flush toilets, August said aging infrastructure prompted the City to deliver container toilets.
“Around 25 toilets arrived, another two will be arriving for residents who are disabled because these toilets are uncomfortable for them to use.
“The flush toilets, like the City officials explained to me, [are] very difficult because they have an aging infrastructure. What happens is with the flush toilets, [they keep blocking, and that blockage is causing [them] to not flush, hence the reason for the container toilets.”
According to August, the container toilets are cleaned out three times a week and once over a weekend. “I’m just happy that the people have been sorted with proper facilities that they can actually use to bring back their dignity.
Commenting on the lack of electricity, August said there are many challenges.“You will find that there is an issue with electricity. Half of the people are without electricity for two years or longer.
“There are many challenges, but we are busy trying to sort [then] out.”
