Diepkloof Hostel residents await flushing toilets after years on bucket system

Residents of the Diepkloof Hostel eagerly await the government delivering flushing ablution facilities after years of relying on chemical toilets and the outdated bucket system.

CoJ MMC for Human Settlement, Mlungisi Mabaso, met with the community at the Diepkloof Hostel Community Hall on 13 September to introduce Mosobotlale Business Enterprise (MBE) (Pty) Ltd as the appointed contractor.

The high attendance reflected the residents’ desperate need for change, with the hall filled and others listening from outside.

Mabaso said the project was ready to start now that the contractor had been introduced to the community as part of the consultation process.

Following this, the contractor will identify the site, recruit local labour and appoint SMMEs before moving on-site.
The project is expected to be completed within 10 months.

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Mabaso stressed that the upgrade aim is to restore dignity to residents, pointing out that the existing hostel structures are dilapidated and, in many cases, beyond repair.

The new facilities are intended to sustain the community until a full-scale redevelopment of the hostel is implemented.

He explained that this project forms part of commitments made to residents in 2020, which included three priorities: electricity, ablution facilities and long-term development.

“Electricity was delivered in 2021, ablution facilities are being addressed, and the final phase will be the long-term redevelopment,” Mabaso said.

Council has approved the long-term redevelopment plan for the hostel. Consultations are underway on programme management and funding, with further sessions planned with hostel leadership.

Mabaso added that the city is exploring opportunities to link the hostel redevelopment with adjacent private developments, although a fallback plan exists should this not materialise.

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Speaking about potential disruptions, Mabaso said the extensive consultation process was to ensure residents themselves safeguard the project.

“Those who attempt to stop the work will likely be individuals who were not part of this process. We have made it clear that everyone has a role to play in protecting the project and ensuring its success,” he explained.

Resident Kelly Nzuza said she is happy about the project and hopes everything goes according to plan.

“As a community, we will benefit from job opportunities, and this unsustainable situation we live in will finally come to an end,” she said.

Another resident, Sibongile Mdlalose, shared the same sentiments, adding that people had contracted infections from the toilets and that the flushing system would bring relief not only for residents but also for the local clinic.

“It will create a safer environment for children because we sometimes find children thrown into those toilets,” said Mdlalose.

Nonoza Mdlalose thanked the hostel indunas (leaders) and the MMC for their commitment.

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“I appreciate the leadership displayed by the indunas. They do not divide us when projects are introduced; in fact, they show us that we are united. They cannot do everything at once, but we appreciate the positive steps taken.”

Mabaso also confirmed that the investigation report regarding the dispute over a portion of land at the Diepkloof Hostel was complete and would be made public after being presented to the CoJ Mayor, Dada Morero.

“Once the mayor provides a date, a report will be tabled and a public meeting will be held before the end of the week to keep residents fully informed,” he concluded.