The public toilets at the Market Square Taxi rank are in a bad state. Most cubicles don't have doors and there is no running water or soap to sanitise hands. Photo: Nwabiso Dlamini
The state of some public toilets around Msunduzi’s CBD is appalling. A visit to some revealed a lack of privacy as well as taps to wash hands.
The Market Square taxi rank toilets have no doors, leaving users with no privacy.
Added to that, the smell of the toilets is unbearable — there’s urine on the floor, and the washbasins are not functioning.
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The taps are broken and users are unable to wash their hands after use.
The putrid smell makes it extremely difficult for people to relieve themselves in a decent manner. It is not clear how many public ablution facilities there are around the CBD, but residents are unhappy with the condition of many of these public toilets.
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While the toilets opposite the city hall are clean, some of the toilets are closed, with broken doors, and only one basin has running water.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said the municipal toilets were a health hazard.
After using the lavatory, you cannot wash your hands because there is no running water in the basins. I carry a bottle of sanitiser every day when I come to town because that’s the only way to clean your hands after using the toilet. This is an embarrassment.
The Witness reported on Monday that people were urinating and defecating in public, causing a stink in parts of the city and alleys around the central business district.
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On Monday, the city posted its by-laws on indecent behaviour on its social media page, eliciting a range of different responses from residents.
According to the by-laws, in the event of non-compliance with the municipality’s by-laws, a fine will be imposed.
The by-laws further state that no person shall, in view of a street or public place, perform any indecent act or incite any person to commit such an act.
“No person shall, in a street or public place, defecate or urinate except in a facility provided by or on behalf of the council for that purpose,” reads the by-laws.
Residents had mixed responses to the post.
Liesel Landsberg Croghan-Black posted: “Thank you for these [by-laws]. Think most by-laws need to be shared for various things as many are either unaware of them or don’t care enough about them. This way, at least people can’t say they didn’t know”.
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Nompilo Hlongwane said the by-laws should be shared widely and that the municipality should take action against transgressors.
Tommy Neo posted: “Eish, so how is it that right outside your offices in Gallwey Lane [in the CBD] is full of human faeces, you literally have to hold your breath to walk in that lane. PMB CBD is now a slum, it’s going to take a miracle to get this town sorted out.”
Kasturi Harichand posted: “Msunduzi … where were your by-laws all these years !!!!?…..good luck implementing them…”
Charé Taylor posted: “And who’s going to stop them??? [People] use by-laws to wipe their backsides with.”
Msunduzi spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize had said ablution facilities around town were well-maintained and in a good condition.
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