Killing 'highlights toilets'

18 March 2016 - 03:05 By Aphiwe Deklerk

The ANC stopped just short of blaming the Western Cape government yesterday for the murder of a Khayelitsha teen whose body was found half naked in a communal toilet.Speaking during debate on the provincial budget, Carol Beerwinkel criticised the provision of sanitation in the township, saying 19-year-old Sinoxolo Mafevuka's body was found "in a toilet in a backyard, far away from the house that she is supposed to stay in".The communal toilets, which are found in many informal settlements in Cape Town, were not only undignified but also contributed to a lack of safety, she said."Would any of us sitting here accept a life like that? This speaks to the [disregard] for the poor and the vulnerable and the need for basic sanitation and water."The province's clean audits did not translate to "meaningful service delivery in communities where the services should be found".Social Development MEC Albert Fritz said the province spent most of its budget on the poor, and he accused the ANC of lacking capacity to govern in the municipalities and provinces it runs.Provision of sanitation has sparked clashes between the ANC and the DA for five years, involving the Ses'Khona People's Rights Movement, an NGO established by ANC members and supporters...

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