Sanitation

Magistrate says charges stand against sanitation activists

The trial of 21 Social Justice Coalition (SJC) members continued in the Cape Town Magistrates' Court today. The group are charged with unlawfully attending and convening a protest in September last year.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 24 July 2014

Cape Town’s protest permit system not supported by law, says City employee

The City of Cape Town's policy that requires groups, marchers and protesters to apply for a gathering permit is not supported by law. This was a concession made by one of the City's own officials, Noel da Silva, who is employed to consider such applications and to grant permits.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 23 July 2014

Khayelitsha’s stinkiest home finally gets cleaned up

A house in Khayelitsha stank so badly, even the neighbours complained about it. Thankfully, the City of Cape Town has unblocked the sewage drain of Mluleki Gantso’s house.

Johnnie Isaac

News | 22 July 2014

City in the hot seat over toilet audit

Over a quarter of the flush toilets inspected during the Social Justice Coalition’s (SJC) social audit did not work.

Barbara Maregele

News | 21 July 2014

Flush toilet audit begins in Khayelitsha

This week the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) began a second social audit of janitorial services in Khayelitsha. This time the organisation is looking at flush toilets.

Thembela Ntongana and Zintle Swana

News | 18 July 2014

De Lille lashes out at HRC and SJC over sanitation report

Today, Mayor Patricia De Lille responded in a special edition of Cape Town This Week to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) report on sanitation provision in Khayelitsha that was published yesterday.

Michelle Korte

News | 17 July 2014

Poo carriers found not guilty

Hundreds of Ses'khona members sang victory songs today as their leaders walked out of the Cape Town Magistrate court free.

Pharie Sefali

News | 16 July 2014

HRC: Cape Town’s chemical toilets violate human rights

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has found that the City of Cape Town's roll out of chemical toilets unfairly discriminates against “black African” people, and violates the rights to basic sanitation and dignity of informal settlement residents.

Daneel Knoetze

News | 16 July 2014

Teachers, students and parents demand toilets and libraries for schools

“Our school has four pit-toilets, two for the boys and two for the girls”, Yonela Jumba says. “These toilets are also used by the teachers.”

Koketso Moeti

News | 16 July 2014

Judgment next week in Ses’khona case

Judgment will be delivered on 18 July in the case of Andile Lili and six others charged after the “poo protests” in the city in June 2013.

Pharie Sefali

Brief | 11 July 2014

Andile Lili sets sights on 2016 elections

Former mountain guide, expelled city councillor, leader of the Ses'khona People's Movement: who is Andile Lili? Pharie Sefali and Alide Dasnois spoke to Cape Town’s best known “poo fighter”.

Pharie Sefali and Alide Dasnois

News | 11 July 2014

Open letter to the Social Justice Coalition

Counsellor Ernest Sonnenberg has written an open letter to Phumeza Mlungwana, General Secretary of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC). This follows the report published by GroundUp on the SJC's toilet mapping initiative.

Ernest Sonnenberg

Opinion | 10 July 2014

Project to map Khayelitsha’s toilets could improve sanitation

Two organisations have teamed up to map public flush toilet locations in Khayelitsha. They will launch an interactive website and phone-based reporting system to improve efficiency in toilet maintenance.

Michelle Korte

News | 8 July 2014

City delays providing toilets to creche

Educators at the Suphemelela Day Care in Khayelitsha where children have been using buckets as toilets, say they are still waiting for flush toilets promised to them by the City of Cape Town more than a month ago.

Barbara Maregele

News | 2 July 2014

Three infants die from polluted water in Northwest: Justice must be done

In early April 2014, violent service delivery protests erupted at Boitumelong at Bloemhof in Northwest. Residents, accusing Lekwa Teemane municipality councillors of corruption, maladministration and nepotism, torched the house of the mayor and demanded the municipality to be disbanded.

Melissa Fourie

Analysis | 9 June 2014

Sewage from blocked Khayelitsha toilets overflows into family’s yard

A Khayelitsha mother fears her children’s health is at risk as the sewage from the newly installed toilets metres from her home constantly overflows into her yard.

Barbara Maregele

News | 2 June 2014