'It's 2020 and we're still using pit toilets'

KNYSNA NEWS - Residents of Nekkies in Knysna say living there is like living in deep rural areas with no basic services like water and proper toilets. Knysna-Plett Herald (KPH) visited the area and spoke to residents who claim they have been complaining to Knysna Municipality about their intermittent water supply and toilet problems for years, to no avail.

Speaking on behalf of Nekkies residents, community leader Brandon-Lee Johannes said from 06:00 to 19:00 every day the area has no water and people have to go up and down carrying buckets, looking for water.

"Sometimes we stay up until the early hours of the following day waiting for water to come back," he said.

Another resident, Nosiphiwo Stemela, said she has been staying in Nekkies for four years and nothing has changed. "We only get water at night and there are no proper toilets in this area. We are struggling as if we are staying in deep rural areas," she said.

Municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt told KPH the municipality is aware of the water problems and investigating the matter.

Johannes said they are still using dilapidated pit toilets. "It is now 2020 but we are still using these falling toilets [pit toilets]. There are houses around us that have the blue portable toilets but the majority of us are using unsafe and unhealthy toilets. My daughter has to go use other people's toilets as she is scared to use our toilet," he said.

One of the toilets in Nekkies. Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

According to Johannes, the community has been asking the municipality about the toilet issue for a long time but are not getting any answers. "The community has even threatened to close the N2 road if the matter is not addressed. The municipality does not care about us," he said.

Bezuidenhoudt however pointed out that there are chemical ablution facilities in Nekkies. "All our areas have adequate ablution facilities. This matter was brought to our attention and we have 200 Covid-19-related chemical ablution facilities and another 200 in informal settlements. Which brings us to 400 ablution facilities which we delivered this year alone," Bezuidenhout said.

But Johannes countered saying the 400 toilets are for the whole of Knysna. "There are a few toilets in Nekkies that are part of the 400 but they are not enough," he said.

Bezuidenhoudt also noted that the issue of toilets can only be properly addressed through formalising informal settlements, by submitting an application to provincial government through the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme. "The provision of chemical toilets is done on a three-year tender and the facilities are shared. The rest will depend on availability of funds from Province," he said.

Falling toilet (pit toilet) in Nekkies. Photo: Tembile Sgqolana