Residents appeal against ancient colonial toilets
Residents appeal against ancient colonial toilets
November 25, 2022
Liberty Mutamba
Choice News Africa
Gwanda – Matabeleland South residents from the oldest suburb (Jahunda) in Gwanda are still using the colonial communal toilets, 42 years into the independence.
The toilets are now incapacitated, to cater for the growing population, hence their appeal to the local authority, to be given the green light to have their own indoors toilets, that are health and safe from possible disease outbreak.
The situation inside the only toilet in Gwanda’s Jahunda, cannot be used by persons with disability, because of deteriorating standards and health threat.
The colonial communal toilets, have been also affected by shortage of running water, as the town authorities are failing to look after their public toilets.
Jahunda houses were built during the colonial era, and were owned by the council before a certain amount was tagged for dwellers to fully possess the houses.
These old houses have been using public toilets since the construction of the suburb, the same toilets are currently used by hundreds of residents fetch water, for domestic use and bathing.
The current water shortage has left residents without any option rather than to call the authority to work for the betterment of their health, as the toilets are now a hygiene threat.
“These toilets caters for everyone around here, including shoppers, shopkeepers and passers, while there is currently no water.
People continuously relieve themselves, in these filthy dirt toilets, creating a stinky environment, hence our appeal to the Council, to have our indoor toilets inside our houses,” said a business operator who preferred anonymity.
“In this generation we cannot go for 30-50m to access the toilet while in town, if the Council fail to give us a bowser to clean these toilets, our health will be completely at stake, because people are now helping themselves on the floor of the dirt toilets, with flies all over,” complained residents.
An angry resident, Tsigai Maphosa who is one of the tenants, told Choice News Africa that this Council is composed of incompetent staff, who are reckless and heartless, because of the status of the toilets.
“Nowadays people relief themselves on the ground, because the toilets will be overloaded, with waste. We have mentally challenged people, person with disability and children who play around the toilet yards and they are prone to cholera and unhygienic environment.” Said Mrs Sheila Nare, a vendor.
After failing to get action from the local authorities, residents have opted the total closure of the toilet and resort to bush area toilets.
Ward 4 Councillor who is also the Mayor Njabulo Siziba said he has spearhead the construction of toilets way back but all his efforts goes up in smoke.
“I have raised this issue countless times, at some point the Engineering, health department and Peace Committee access the area, the gradient was to blamed and pipe layout was a hindrance. I think on people resorting to bush the council will pull-up their socks.
Asked about the way forward, the Councillors has this to say, “As for now we have organized the bowser to provide water for the toilets clean-up, we are experiencing a pipe wreck that needs to be addressed. People’s idea on building indoor toilets, is one of my dreams but financially, we are not able to meet the costs as a council at the moment.”