Poor chemistry between City and community over sanitation contract

Even though the turnout for the event was “good”, the SJC’s Axolile Notywala said they were disappointed that no one from the City of Cape Town attended the hearing even though they were informed about it already on 6 August.

Resident Nokhanyo Mayongo said it was disheartening that none of the people from the City, not the housing steering committee nor a Mshengu chemical toilet representative, nor the ward councillor showed up to the meeting.

Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Ernest Sonnenberg, said the City’s Utility Services Directorate advised the SJC that a representative would not be attending the public hearings.

“The City of Cape Town believes that the manner in which the SJC conducts these public hearings has always been questionable. We did, however, request that the ‘findings’ be sent to us so that we can respond to any issues raised concerning our services. We will be responding in due course.”

The social audit, which is a civil society driven process and encourages community participation for monitoring government service delivery and expenditure, found that in Green Point, Khayelitsha (where there are 998 households), out of 296 residents interviewed, 270 were using Mshengu chemical toilets and flush toilets, 11 used the bush to relieve themselves, and 15 used pit toilets.

Mayongo said, “Mshengu toilets do not cater for people with disabilities and they are far. Some residents were given Mshengu toilets without being consulted. We are terrorised by thugs when walking to the toilets, because that is where they hang out and smoke drugs and sometimes toilets are tipped over while we are inside because they are not stuck to the ground.”

“As for Phase 3 housing, we have been waiting for years to hear what is happening with our houses, but we are told nothing. The last I heard is that the money for the project was used for something else, which is why the project is at a standstill. The housing steering committee is not doing anything and the housing department is not monitoring the committee. People’s homes are constantly flooded when it rains,” said Mayongo.

Other findings of the social audit include workers not being inoculated nor given protective clothing when cleaning toilets; a lack of communication between Green Point residents, the City and Mshengu; a lack of cleanliness and access to full flush toilets and housing issues.

SJC’s Nkosikhona Swartbooi said that together with the community, they would draft a letter that would be sent to Mshengu, asking them to attend a community meeting.

“We will be giving them seven days to respond to the letter. One of the problems with Mshengu is the fact that the contract states that workers should be provided with three uniforms a year, but workers are only provided with one, which means they have violated the contract.”

When asked for comment, Mshengu Toilet Hire’s general manager Hilton Cupido said they had forwarded their answers about the problems highlighted by the social audit and why they had not attended the community meeting to the City.