Quinton Mtyala
EIGHTEEN months after Makhaza’s open toilets caused a political storm for the DA, the City of Cape Town has started enclosing all 1 316 units, now that residents have approved a prototype.
Two weeks ago, mayor Patricia de Lille ordered council workers to enclose the toilets after a protracted legal fight, indicating the city would not appeal a Western Cape High Court decision which ruled against it in the case. On Monday, contractors started putting up the first toilets, made of prefabricated concrete panels, and assembled them on site.
Residents of Makhaza, in Khayelitsha, who inspected the first unit on Monday, were satisfied and gave the go-ahead for all the unenclosed toilets to be covered, a job expected to be completed within weeks.
De Lille welcomed the community’s acceptance: “This is a positive step forward in our efforts to close the chapter of the Makhaza toilets with dignity and in a lawful manner.
“I hope that this will also go a long way to repair the relationship between the city and the people of Makhaza.”
Thobekani Qwabe, a resident of the area, said he was happy with the new structures as he surveyed workers building the new enclosures. “I can see they’re smart and neat,” he said.
But after all the protests and court cases, Qwabe said trouble could have been avoided if the council had agreed to the residents’ demands. “They should have done this a long time ago.”
Premier Helen Zille defended the council’s failure to enclose the toilets, saying residents had agreed to do it themselves. But 51 families could not afford the materials for enclosures.