Budget constraints are limiting the City of Ekurhuleni’s ability to repair and maintain the ablution blocks at Homestead Dam, leaving facilities unusable and raising public sanitation concerns.

The toilets are currently out of service, with all but one of the entrances welded shut, while the single open block appears to be occupied by a homeless person.

Municipal spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said budget constraints limit the ability to repair and maintain facilities promptly, adding that the Metro Parks division has included repairs in its 2026/2027 financial planning.

The Benoni City Times investigated the matter after being approached by Homestead Lake Parkrun director Christian de Jager, who raised concerns about the state of the facilities.

De Jager said the issue was no longer simply a matter of inconvenience, but one of public dignity, sanitation, environmental responsibility, and the municipality’s obligation to properly maintain a public recreational facility used by hundreds of people every week.

He added that Homestead Lake is an important community asset used daily by residents, families, walkers, runners, and visitors, noting that the weekly parkrun attracts between 450 and 650 participants and supporters every Saturday from 07:30 onwards.

Problems

Ward 28 councillor Mary Goby said problems with the ablution facilities date back to 2011, when an organisation known as Homestead Helpers maintained the toilets.

Goby explained that in 2011, a group known as Homestead Helpers—distinct from the current Homestead Helpers for Benoni—looked after the toilets, supplied toilet paper, and locked them every night before reopening them in the morning.

Also Read: Concerns over crime and homelessness at Homestead Dam

She said the situation deteriorated after the municipality took over maintenance through contractors, as the facilities were not locked up and were subsequently destroyed over time.

Renovations

The issue resurfaced when then Ward 28 environmental development committee member Chintan Patel, who also served as chairperson of the Homestead Conservancy, pushed for the ablution blocks to be repaired and reopened.

Goby said Patel approached her with a mission to get the toilets operational again, leading to a co-ordinated effort across municipal departments that resulted in the complete repair of the facilities.

However, the repaired facilities could not be kept operational because no security was available to lock them at night and open them in the morning.

Goby noted that the municipality did not have security personnel stationed at an open park, allowing vagrants to vandalise and destroy the facilities within weeks.
Patel provided an email trail documenting a four-year community campaign to repair and reopen the blocks.

Although renovation work was completed on June 22, 2022, the facilities remained unusable because the water supply had not been restored.

Patel said he contacted Hennie Kirstens, operations officer for water and sanitation at the municipality, on August 31, 2022, and the water connection was completed by September 4.

He explained that there was never a direct connection from the toilets to the main water line on Wilge Road, requiring the water and sanitation team to dig under the road to connect the supply pipes.

Patel was informed on September 5 that the revenue team still needed to install water meters, but he received no further response.

Despite the repairs and water connection, Patel said the infrastructure lasted only about 90 days before leaks and further vandalism occurred due to poor-quality infrastructure.

Following repeated attempts to keep the facilities operational between December 2022 and October 2025, the toilet gates were eventually welded shut.

Goby said the new Homestead Helpers for Benoni decided to weld all the doors shut, though one homeless person managed to force open one block.

She added that she had informed the relevant municipal departments and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department about the situation, but remains uncertain about rehabilitation plans.

Goby stated that the only way to maintain renovated toilets is by having 24-hour security on site to ensure they are locked at night.

Dlamini said the issue will be resolved once the required resources are successfully obtained and the maintenance department is adequately equipped, which is likely to happen within the next few months.

Also Read: SALI, partners plant seeds of the future at Homestead Dam