Clean up the City’s toilets

THE shocking state of hygiene and sanitation in the City of uMhlathuze has to be improved as a matter of urgency.

This was the unanimous sentiment of uMhlathuze Councillors at an Executive Committee sitting in Richards Bay on Tuesday. The matter came under scrutiny as Council approved a report on the current status of public sanitary facilities.

The City has a total of 33 sanitary blocks with approximately 81 toilets located throughout the busy commercial areas.

However despite constant maintenance being carried out at the respective facilities, a flood of complaints have been received regarding unhygienic conditions and poor refuse removal.

Deputy Mayor, Vera Gumbi said the situation needed urgent short term addressing adding that ‘the Zululand Observer correctly points out the shocking state of affairs in articles’.

City Mayor Elphas Mbatha concurred stating that he had on more than one occasion seen the filth on Naval Island.

‘This is not good at all. It may be a Transnet (land owner) issue but we must remove the waste.’

Councillor MM Mbokazi urged officials to ‘use the maintenance budget’ to control the situation.

Common complaints from residents included toilets not flushing as a result of blockages and water being diverted for car washing. There were also reports of human faeces and urine on public toilet floors as a result of abuse and vandalism and no toilet paper, hand wash basins and hand soap.

Councillors heard of a further water wastage problem with car washers reportedly dismantling water pipes at the facilities.

‘The sewage overflows results in environmental pollution, transmission of disease, fly breeding and foul odours,’ said the report.

‘This exposes City residents to various pathogens, bacterial, viral and parasitic conditions, which can result in among others dysentery, cholera, hepatitis A and other diseases.

‘It is evident that the sanitary facilities in their current condition pose a health risk to the community, staff and environment. It is therefore imperative that solutions be found to improve the conditions at these sanitary facilities.’

Ablution facilities affected by vandalism included the eNseleni Shopping Centre, Richards Bay bus rank, Mzingazi taxi rank, eSikhaleni swimming pools, Biyela Street, Tanner Road Post Office, Byrne Street and Short Maxwell Street, Empangeni A Rank as well as Vulindlela toilets.

The City Council further recommended that the Department of Infrastructure and Technical Services demolish the Biyela Road and Carbonate Cell toilet facilities.