Gauteng govt defends itself amid ongoing sanitation crisis in Emfuleni Local Municipality

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng government has defended itself amid an ongoing sanitation crisis in the Emfuleni Local Municipality, where portable toilets have gone unserviced for months.

Mobile toilets at the Ramaphosa informal settlement in Vereeniging haven’t been cleaned since early this year, after the provincial government stopped funding the sanitation programme.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality has been unable to take over the programme, saying it doesn’t have the money to do so.

As a result, the area is facing a severe sanitation crisis.

WATCH | 'Four houses with one toilet' - Emfuleni informal settlement faces sanitation crisis

At first glance, the Ramaphosa informal settlement appears clean, with no litter visible throughout the community.

But what’s hard to ignore is the stench from mobile toilets that haven't been emptied since Valentine’s Day.

Upon closer inspection, worms can be seen crawling across the toilet seats, and discoloured liquid fills the bowl.

Gauteng Human Settlements Department spokesperson, Tahir Sema, said the province informed the Emfuleni Local Municipality last year that it would stop funding the sanitation programme.

“It is important to emphasise that the provision of basic sanitation services is a core municipal function. The department’s involvement through the grant was always intended as a temporary intervention. While alternative solutions are being explored, the department strongly encourages Emfuleni Municipality to urgently seek other funding avenues and partnerships to ensure continuity of services.”

As residents continue to endure these conditions, the municipality claims it needs just five more months to clean the toilets.