Ilinge residents years-long ’ plea over pit toilets, ignored
Residents of Mzamo and Ekuphumleni in Ilinge who have lived with a lack of proper sanitation since 1995, have pleaded with the municipality to eradicate pit toilets in the area.
However, community members said their repeated cries for help to municipal officials and councillors had fallen on deaf ears.
Resident Nombulelo Jaza said: I have elderly parents
“who are 74 and 68 years of age who have been living under these poor conditions.
We have dug more than
“eight holes in our yard because the municipality fails to provide basic sanitation facilities.
We were promised toilets
“years ago and we heard there was a budget, but to this day the area still does not have decent toilets.
They have made sewage
“systems in other areas, but fail to do so in ours.
It is bad because the whole “area is pervaded by the smell. Our parents are now
“scared to voice their frustration on this matter because of politics. They have accepted this way of living and have given up.
We are in the Covid-19
“pandemic and we cannot apply hygiene precautions. We want this situation
“fixed and our basic rights met.”
Mzamo resident Amanda Dayimani, 30, said pit toilets had been the norm in the area since she was born.
We have to pay people to
“ dig and that requires money we do not have. We have young children who could fall into these pit toilets.
This system is unhygienic, “ especially during this time of the coronavirus. They built new RDP houses across the street with a proper sanitation system but we were disregarded.”
Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson Thobeka Mqamelo had not responded to questions sent by the time of going to print.