Residents of Egoli in Buffalo City’s Ward 10, have been left without basic sanitation after public toilets built in 2016 in Muvhango, an informal settlement within Egoli, have fallen into disrepair and are now in a dilapidated state. This public toilet facility has no protective fencing or barriers to prevent vandalism.
The facility, consisting of 10 public toilets, was intended to restore dignity and provide essential services. Yet, years later, it stands as a symbol of neglect.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding immediate action to safeguard what remains of the facility and to expedite necessary repairs. The Buffalo City Municipality cannot allow critical infrastructure to collapse while communities are left without safe and dignified sanitation.
We have written to the City Manager, Mxolisi Yawa, demanding urgent intervention before further damage occurs and more residents are forced to live without basic sanitation.
This highlights a wider crisis of essential sewerage infrastructure collapse in Buffalo City. The municipality is displaying no tangible plan to arrest the decline.
In response to a DA parliamentary question, the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, confirmed that the Muvhango public toilet facility was part of a 2016/17 municipal project. Approximately R230 000 was spent on the 10 public toilets in Muvhango. However, fencing was not installed, reportedly due to financial constraints, and no caretaker was appointed.
While fencing can serve as an effective deterrent in some areas, the municipality has argued that, in this case, it would limit access to the ablution facilities and the surrounding informal settlements. They also noted that vandalism trends vary across communities, some unfenced facilities remain intact, while others suffer damage despite being fenced.
Given this, community awareness programmes and the appointment of caretakers are essential steps in protecting public infrastructure. These measures must be implemented consistently and supported by swift action in response to vandalism.
The residents of Egoli and Buffalo City as a whole deserve infrastructure that is well-maintained, protected, and restored promptly. It is the municipality’s responsibility to deliver essential services that uphold the dignity, health, and safety of all communities.