Five households on the same street in Boshof, Free State, use their neighbours’ pit toilets because other pit latrines in the area are full.
About 50 residents still use pit toilets in the area. They say they don’t have any alternative.
One of the residents, Charmaine Taaibosch says poor sanitation in the area is causing a health hazard. She says that residents are frustrated because they had been complaining to the local Tokologo municipality demanding flushing toilets but nothing has come out of that.
“I decided to close my pit toilet because it was full. Because of that, I’m using my neighbour’s toilet because they have small children and I was scared of the health issues because me I always go to the clinic complaining about infections so I was scared of them. So my neighbour’s toilet is full now because we are a lot of people using it and I’m also scared because of my children going to the toilet that’s why they go they use the graveyard.”
The Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says a project to improve sanitation for residents of Boshof has been approved for the next financial year.
The department’s spokesperson, Athenkosi Mabona says the government plans to eradicate pit toilets in the area in the next financial year.
“The municipality approached DWS. And the Department of Water and Sanitation has approved the WSIG grant for the municipality’s plan to eradicate about 300 household pit toilets, but two upgraded water treatment plants. So this will start in the next financial year, which is 2024/2025. That starts for the municipality, not like the province it starts in June. So that plan is there they will keep in touch with a few on when they have appointed service providers and all that.”
Frustrated Boshof residents demand flushing toilets:
