The DA in Gauteng conducted an oversight inspection in Evaton, in the Sedibeng District, and was shocked to witness the appalling living conditions that the residents are exposed to daily.

Following the inspection, Mervyn Cirota, the DA Gauteng shadow MEC for Human Settlements and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, said: “The Department of Human Settlement’s Evaton Renewal Project was meant to improve living conditions. However, there is nothing to show for the millions spent because residents still use pit toilets, the roads are not tarred, and residents cannot access dignified housing.”

For over 30 years, gogo Elizabeth Radebe has lived in Evaton and has been using a pit toilet. She told the DA that she lives in fear, as she is scared her grandchildren might drown in the pit toilet.

According to Cirota, some of the residents desperate for services have resorted to illegally connecting to the bulk sewer lines so that they are able to access water for their toilets.

“This dangerous and illegal practice can only be resolved by an immediate intervention from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements by urgently eradicating the need for pit toilets by putting in place an urgent programme to provide proper and dignified sanitation for the residents in Evaton.”

The DA said it will submit questions to the Gauteng MEC of Human Settlement, Lebogang Maile, in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to ascertain how much has been spent on the Evaton Renewal Project since its inception and the outline of the work done.

“Furthermore, the DA will write to the South African Human Rights Commission to seek urgent interventions to force the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to eradicate pit toilets in Evaton. The continued existence of pit toilets strips the residents of Evaton of their dignity, which is unacceptable,” said Cirota.