Residents of Ext. 11, Diepsloot, told Fourways Review on 26 June that the toilets have not been replaced for the past five years, turning the facility into a health hazard for the community.
Five toilets used by the public are premised in Mariam Manetje’s yard. Gogo Manetje said the stinking toilets were bringing constant chest infections to her family members.
“My grandchildren cough throughout the year because these toilets are rarely cleaned and this strong foul smell is forever hanging in the air,” said Manetje.
Manetje added that the toilets should be removed from her yard since they were bringing sickness and a stench smell to her family.
Manetje also sells bananas and apples from a spot which is about five metres away from the dirty and fly-infested toilets.
The Fourways Review team visited the area over the weekend for an onsite inspection. There was no running water in the over-stretched ablution services. Faeces is seeping from the unmaintained toilets. The stench smell is unbearable. Residents were seen using the visibly blocked and waterless toilets to relieve themselves. The toilets are also surrounded by garbage which residents are dumping around the public ablution facilities.
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Residents are seemingly having no option except to contend with the unhealthy environment. Some were seem enjoying fruits from Manetje’s spaza shop while others basked in the sunshine consuming liquor just a few metres from the stinking toilets.
DA councillor, Refilwe Mathebula, said residents were supposed to do their part by maintaining cleanliness around the toilets.
“The council must clean and replace the toilets, but residents must not dump rubbish around the toilet,” said Mathebula.
Three public taps in the area are malfunctioning and running non-stop.
“These taps can’t be closed and this has been the situation for almost a year,” said one resident who declined to be identified.
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Mathebula said routine checks and maintenance could save the council a lot of water.
“Can you imagine that we are losing a lot of water just like that because broken taps are not being fixed? Who will pay for this water?” asked Mathebula.
Efforts to get a comment from Joburg Water spokeswoman, Millicent Kabwe drew blanks. Kabwe was not available on her cellphone when Fourways Review tried to contact her for a comment. Questions e-mailed to her had not yet been responded to by the time of going to press.
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