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Bucketloads more problems for Marikana, the Cinderella of NW405
Service delivery and basic human rights remain a pipe dream for the poor residents of Marikana in Promosa who continue to struggle with maggot-infested bucket toilets and the delivery of substandard potable water. In February, the Herald ran the story of the toilets that were crawling with maggots after the NW405 municipality failed to pay …
Service delivery and basic human rights remain a pipe dream for the poor residents of Marikana in Promosa who continue to struggle with maggot-infested bucket toilets and the delivery of substandard potable water.
In February, the Herald ran the story of the toilets that were crawling with maggots after the NW405 municipality failed to pay the service provider to clean them. Everything went well for a while after the money was deposited in the service provider’s account the following day.
On Tuesday, however, the Herald visited the area again and the journalist encountered the most revolting sight of bucket toilets that do not seem to have been emptied or cleaned for several weeks.
A 45-year-old woman, Bibi Mokele, says they have not seen the service provider’s bakkie in the area for more than a month. ‘We are all sick and diarrhoea and migraines are now daily ailments because of the unhygienic conditions and the unbearable smell. We do not want the toilets anymore.’ According to her, the residents do not have running water in their homes and have to travel far to get water that is murky and unpleasant.
Thembisile Tekani, a community leader, said they thought the bucket toilets would be an interim solution. ‘From the outset, we made it clear to the committee at the time that the only solution to any informal settlement is to formalise it. The municipality can apply for funding from the provincial and national government for what we call incremental upgrading, rather than focusing on the lame excuses that the municipality has been serving us,’ he said.
Marikana residents to be relocated
Thembisile says the municipality has announced that the residents will be moved to another area, citing dolomite risk. ‘The council is using the dolomite as an excuse but, honestly, they just do not have the best interest of the local people at heart. These conditions definitely violate the residents’ constitutional and human rights.
‘We have checked the maps from AGES and we are situated in a low-risk area. From a historical perspective, relocation has never worked – it is just terminology that is used to break the fighting spirit of any community,’ he said.
He added that Promosa has never been properly serviced or upgraded. ‘The municipality favours Ikageng. Since 2013, stands in Ikageng have been allocated on four occasions – in Ext 6, 7, 9 and 1. Yet, there isn’t a single water tap in Marikana. What crime have the people living in Marikana and at the graveyard committed to deserve such blatant disregard and contempt?’
Heavy downpour to blame for unserviced toilets
The council spokesperson, Willie Maphosa says the reason for the dirty and unserviced toilets is the fact that the service provider could not access four of the toilets last week because of the heavy rains. ‘The downpour was, unfortunately, followed by the long weekend.
The service provider had since promised that the servicing of all the toilets would resume from today as scheduled, and will have been completed by this Friday,’ he said.
The council failed to answer questions relating to replacing the bucket system in the area because of the health hazard, however. The council would also not disclose whether or not they would relocate the residents to another place.
