Residents choose bucket toilets instead of flush loos over fear of gangs

Residents of Kliprand informal settlement in Port Elizabeth have opted to keep the bucket system instead of using their communal flush toilets.

They said it is not safe to use the flush toilets at night because of criminal gangs.

While the bucket system is unbearable, they said, it is safe.

“Gang violence is rife in the community, Only those who live very close [to the toilets] are able to use them at night,” said Doreen Jack, chairperson for the community.

She told GroundUp that 72 communal toilets were erected between June and October 2019, but the plumbing was poor and the toilets leaked.

Only 10 of the toilets have not been broken by vandals.

“We are 370 shack dwellers here and we prefer to use bucket system toilets which are safe and inside our yards,” said Jack.

“We mostly use them [communal toilets] to draw water as they help reduce long queues at the communal taps,” she said.

The toilet facilities have taps and basins.

Servicing the bucket system is hampered by illegal electricity connections because the settlement has not been electrified. Last year in August and October, about 200 residents blocked Old Uitenhage Road demanding electrification.

“The [bucket collection] truck cannot move freely here because there are illegal electricity connection lines that cross the streets. Residents threatened the driver not to damage their electricity cables,” said Jack.

Community leader Stephen Hoffman said: “The municipal workers have to go door-to-door and put the buckets in the street where there are no electricity cables. The truck sometimes arrives in the afternoon to collect the buckets, and then the entire place stinks.”

Hoffman also said the shared toilet facilities were out of bounds for many people.

“People are scared of being caught up in  gang crossfire as gang shooting is too much here.”

Ayanda Gcakasi, assistant to ward 33 Councillor Nomazwi Sonti (ANC), said: “Yes, people refused their bucket system to be eradicated because they don’t feel safe going to the toilets at night. The project [flush toilets] was meant to bring back the dignity of the people and also  create [cleaning] jobs for them.”

Gcakasi said 60% of Kliprand’s land is privately owned and the municipality owns 40%.

“So the municipality is still busy negotiating with private owners to be able to get full ownership.

“To build toilets inside the yards would need other people to be relocated to make space for the laying of infrastructure. With the current situation of ownership, the municipality can’t do that,” he said.

Regarding electricity, Mayco member for infrastructure, Andile Lungisa said: “We are waiting for the budget adjustment to be done during our next council meeting on February 27.”

This article was originally published on GroundUp.