Briardene toilet project never completed
Out of the 90 pit toilets erected by the eThekwini Municipality, only a few are usable as the majority of them do not have toilet seats, while those that have seats are without pits or doors.
WARD 36 community members say they feel failed by the eThekwini Municipality over a project that has remained incomplete for years.
The informal settlement located just off Krishna Road in Briardene had 90 toilets that cost the municipality R1.6m to be erected, a project they say they were against
Resident Don Shange says they did not need the toilets as they had a sewerage system that was adequate for their needs.
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“We did not need all these toilets. The municipality spent R1.6m on toilets that can’t even be used. This project was started in June 2020 but has never been completed to date. Some of the toilets don’t have pits, while those that have pits do not have toilet seats.
“These are 90 unusable toilets we are talking about here. That is R1.6m of taxpayers’ money that could’ve been used for something else like building houses for the residents, but instead, it went to waste, as you can see for yourself. Why waste money on something we didn’t even need or ask for?” asked Don.
Don says some residents have removed the toilets from their yards as they felt it was a waste of space.
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Ward 36 councillor Shontel de Boer says the toilets were erected without her as the ward councillor being consulted.
“The toilets were erected in and around Briardene in 2020 without my consultation. The R1.6m used was from my Black Swan budget for maintenance projects, again without consulting me. The community and I were really against the erection of these toilets, but they never listened – they went ahead.
“Some of the toilets were erected in private property without consent from the property owners, while some were erected in the bushes. Imagine, as a lady, all by yourself, having to go to the bushes to use the toilet. They can’t even be used as some don’t have toilets seats, and even if they did have seats, how do you use a toilet without a door?” asked Shontel.
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De Boer says some of the toilets got washed away in the floods.
“That is R1.6m down the drain – an utter waste of money. This is money that could’ve been used for proper toilets that flush. This is another example of how our government misuses funds.”
De Boer said, she had followed up with the city on the progress of the project.
The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment at the time of going to print.
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