Toilet report late: Sexwale

A final report on the state of the country's sanitation facilities will only be released next week, Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale says.

Sexwale was meant to table the report to Parliament's portfolio committee on Human Settlements on Wednesday.

Instead, copies of an interim report of the Ministerial Sanitation Task Team (MSTT) containing findings and recommendations were distributed.

The document was later taken away from those attending the meeting, including journalists.

MPs were allowed to keep and study the snapshot report.

Sexwale said the report was in the process of being finalised by the MSST.

"After discussion with the team itself we saw it wise not to release this week an interim report, rather to do so when we have a finalised report," said Sexwale.

The minister said the idea was to release it together with the MSST next week.

"Its contents are of interest to many people, specifically the poorest of poor. It's going to determine quite a number of things," Sexwale said.

The task team was established in 2011 following reports of open or incomplete toilets in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, Moqhaka in the Free State and Moutse in Mpumalanga.

The team, headed by ANC stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, was asked to investigate the scale and nature of the problem and advise on remedial steps.