ANC in toilets saga

1600 toilets, some built as far back as 2003, in parts of the ANC-run Moqhaka municipality, have been left uncovered for years

THE DA yesterday said it was surprised that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) had not finalised the open toilets report at the ANC-run Moqhaka local municipality in the Free State.

The investigation into a similar saga in Makhaza, in the DA-run city of Cape Town, launched by the ANC, took three months.

The DA's Lindiwe Mazibuko said the investigation had gone on for "too long".

"We launched the investigation in September last year. Seven months down the line it has not been finalised.

"We expect a report to be released to the public by Wednesday. The HRC is expected to abide by its policies," Mazibuko said.

HRC spokesperson Vincent Moaga confirmed that the committee would meet today.

"A commissioner will be appointed. Depending on whether or not he is happy with it, it will be released first to the complainant (DA) and then to the public," he said.

Mazibuko said when the ANC complained about uncovered toilets in the Western Cape, the HRC finalised its report in three months.

Our sister newspaper, Sunday Times, reported yesterday that 1600 toilets, some built as far back as 2003, in parts of the ANC-run municipality, have been left uncovered for years.

Some of the toilets in Rammulotsi, outside Viljoenskroon, are in a state of disrepair. Many have cracked, while pipes have also vanished.

Many had makeshift covers ranging from rusty corrugated iron sheets to pieces of plastic sheets, the paper said.

The paper quoted acting technical services manager Mike Lelaka saying that the council took a resolution late last year to provide cover for all toilets left unenclosed since 2003. He said the council had since covered 378 toilets, while another phase of the project would result in a further 200 being covered shortly.

Lelaka said it would cost the council more than R8million to complete the project, while it had only R4,2million available at present.

ANC national spokesperson Jackson Mthembu told the Sunday Times they were not aware of the open toilets but said it was "unacceptable".