More open toilets exposed

A FURTHER 50 unenclosed toilets have been exposed at another area falling under the controversial Moqhaka local municipality.

Sowetan yesterday visited Marabastad township outside Kroonstad in Free State and was met by bitter complaints from residents.

Residents say they have been using open toilets for more than five years. The toilets were built by the municipality.

On the other side of the township, more than 200 toilets have been lying idle for almost a year while residents used boxes, corrugated iron sheets and blankets to cover themselves when answering the call of nature.

Ward councillor Mookho Moabi said the toilets were built between 2003 and 2004. The municipality had an agreement with residents that it would only provide toilets, and that they would have to enclose them using their own funds.

Those who had funds managed to enclose their toilets, but those who are poor used corrugated iron sheets and other materials.

Following the latest uproar, the ANC was running against time to enclose more than 1600 toilets in Rammolutsi township, which also falls under the same municipality.

The municipality is run by mayor Mantebo Mokgosi, who is in trouble for allegedly owning part of a company that built the toilets at Rammolutsi. At the time, Mokgosi was a councillor before being elected mayor in 2006.

Also in Marabastad, the municipality was busy trying to fix the mess, and trucks were seen off-loading material meant to cover the toilets outside Moabi's house.

"The funds only came this week, and we want to enclose the toilets of those residents who can't afford to do it themselves. This is not an attempt to cover up but part of service delivery by the ANC," Moabi said.

She said between 2003 and 2004, the municipality reached an agreement with residents that "we will only allocate toilets and they (residents) will have to enclose them".

Residents said the municipality had humiliated them for years.

Miriam Mpowu, 72, said she had tried on many occasions to enclose her toilet using bricks and mud, but the building would not last for six months.

"I have given up on this government. I feel embarrassed and humiliated. An old person like me is forced to relieve herself in the open. I use a bucket inside my house to relive myself while a toilet is standing in my yard," she said.

After the revelations, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said he was "shocked".

The Young Communist League has called for Mokgosi to be fired.

Residents claimed that they were forced to use boxes and blankets to cover themselves when responding to the call of nature. What irked the community most was that there were about 200 toilets that were fully built outside the township which were not used by anyone.

Puseng Molale said she did not have money to buy material to enclose her toilet.

"What is sad is that Moqhaka municipality built toilets that are not used by anybody outside our township, knowing very well about our plight. This municipality has violated our rights," said Molale.

But Moabi said the 200 toilets outside the township were built in preparation for RDP houses that the municipality has planned to build in the future.

On Tuesday, Premier Ace Magashule, ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula and ANC heavyweight Tony Yengeni rushed to Rammolutsi outside Viljoenskroon after reports about 1600 toilets which have been left unenclosed for eight years were published.

Malema promised that action would be taken against those responsible. He said no municipality should provide open toilets.

"It should not even cross their minds, and if a municipality did not have enough money to build fully enclosed toilets, it should not even have begun," Malema said.