Nelson Mandela Bay Metro says it's eradicating bucket toilets

An event that was supposed to assure local residents that the hated bucket toilet systems still being used across the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality will be eradicated soon ended up being a dance show after the Mayor arrived late.

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani, arrived an hour late, followed by the MMC of Engineering, Electricity & Energy, Andile Lungisa, who arrived about 30 minutes later for the event that was slated to begin at 9:00am.

The reason for their visit to Motherwell NU29, in Port Elizabeth, was to give assurance to local residents that the Metro is working around the clock to eradicate bucket toilets across the City.

In his brief address, Lungisa said that millions of Rands have been set aside by the Metro and government for the project with work currently happening across the Nelson Mandela Bay.

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, said that Bobani gave strict instructions to officials in the Metro’s sanitation department to fast-track bucket eradication projects. 

More complaints from residents

While the Metro was excited to announce progress being made on the bucket toilet eradication project, residents took the opportunity to raise several service delivery complaints.

Residents complained about the leakages in the toilets and emphasised that they are afraid of ‘Day Zero’, when water might run out.

"We are happy to finally own our sites and have toilets of our own and running water since we stayed in informal settlement for so long, but these toilets leak," Sivuyile Masumpa complained.

Masumpa is one of many residents of NU29 that were relocated from Powerline, near the new Motherwell police station.

Another resident, Bavuyise Sihoyiya, took the opportunity to complain about his small yard and his shack.

"These yards are small; this municipality doesn't give us our right of freedom of choice to choose the sizes of our yards. At least we deserve bigger yards than this," he described.

Lungisa listened to the complaints and promised to look at them.

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