According to the Provincial Water and Sanitation Department, 26 245 toilets have been built since the inception of the Bucket Eradication Programme (BEP) in September 2013. The department, however, confirms more still needs to be done as there is still a backlog.

OFM News last week reported that a presentation by the National Acting Director-General before Parliament indicated that the province, alongside the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, is still in much need of water and sanitation infrastructure.

It highlighted that while water supply is a great challenge in municipalities such as Maluti-A-Phofung, Ngwathe and Mohokare, the province is also plagued with a mushrooming number of informal settlements where there are 10 202 existing bucket toilets. The provincial department in a statement says the 10 202 toilets are not flushing due to the outstanding construction of bulk sewer lines.

According to the statement: "The department has been working tirelessly to resolve such for the completion of the project. Currently there is progress and the department, together with service providers, are busy with construction of the bulk sewer lines. The plan is to make sure that the outstanding toilets are flushing and functional within the 2020/21 financial year".

The provincial department further confirms that it has noted with concern the mushrooming of informal settlements.

The department's provincial head, Tseliso Ntili, in a statement outlines that this is due to people moving nearer to cities to seek job opportunities.

He says "it is imperative to understand, especially to communities who take to the street to protest, that constructing new toilets and water infrastructure is not an overnight affair. There are steps and processes that the municipality should undertake in formalising an informal settlement and it is usually a long and complex one".

Although Ntili does not give a timeframe as to when the backlog can be expected to be addressed, he says all three spheres of government are working together to ensure that the basic right to dignified sanitation is realised.

OFM News