7 toilets for 1,500 people in this Durban informal settlement

Community leader Zakharia Buthelezi, who acts as the ablution block’s caretaker, says the toilets on Boxwood Road have not been maintained by the eThekwini Municipality for the past two years. He uses his own money to buy cleaning materials. Photos: Nokulunga Majola

Residents of the Boxwood Road informal settlement in Kenville, Durban, say they have been forced to use buckets to flush their communal toilets for the past two years. Water runs continuously through some toilets, but the flushing mechanisms do not work.

The settlement, established in 1998, is now home to about 1,500 people, according to community leaders. It has only one brick block of communal ablution facilities with four toilets for women, three for men, and two showers for each.

Several toilet doors are broken, lids and seats are missing, and the pipes leak, one of which has reportedly been running continuously for three months. The rusted roof also leaks when it rains. The showers no longer work, and some taps do not turn off properly.

Zandile Zulu, who has lived in the settlement since 2014, said, “We need the roof to be replaced and the whole facility upgraded.” Also, more toilets are needed.

Nikiwe Moalusi, a resident since 2002, said the situation is particularly difficult for elderly people and children.

“The sewage pipes at the back sometimes burst and create a huge mess. … Bab’ Buthelezi usually comes up with temporary solutions to stop sewage from flowing into people’s shacks, but the problem always returns,” she said.

Zakharia Buthelezi, a community leader and toilet caretaker, said he has been cleaning the toilets since moving to the settlement in 1999.

The facility is locked at 10:30pm and reopened in the morning.

He said the municipality initially supplied cleaning materials and toilet paper, but this support stopped.

“I now buy my own cleaning materials because I care about keeping the toilets clean. They are close to my spaza shop, so if they are dirty, it also affects me,” he said.

Buthelezi said he has repeatedly reported the problems to municipal officials.

“They come, take notes and leave, but nothing happens. We have water leaks and sometimes sewage leaks as well,” he said.

The eThekwini Municipality was first contacted for comment on 12 June. Despite several follow-up requests, no substantive response has been received.

Ward 34 independent councillor Andrew Akkers said a budget has been approved for the upgrade of the ablution facilities in his warhasd, including Boxwood, and work should commence next month.

One of the toilets in Boxwood informal settlement has a broken door, no seat and no flushing mechanism.

Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast