Mystery surrounds how an Eastern Cape municipality allowed hundreds of toilets estimated to be worth more than R12-million to be built in the middle of the bush.
The toilets were built on the pretext it was for a housing project, but three years later, the 1140 toilets are dwarfed by trees and there is no sign of any housing construction on site.
It was meant to be a flagship project for former farm workers in Komga, 70km east of East London, to benefit those who moved from commercial farms in the area.
Residents, who have been staying in broken temporary shelters for the past five years in Zone 10, were also promised they would be housed in the new development.
But today the former farm labourers are divided about the project, with some questioning it as “they never wanted toilets before houses”, while some have faith the project will be completed.
This week the Saturday Dispatch found toilets scattered across the veld. Some were built a few metres from a quarry mine while others were close to a local dam.
There were no roads and no indication of where houses could possibly be built. Some of the toilets had already started to sink into the ground.
A source, who did not want to be identified, said people wanted to know why toilets were built instead of houses.
“We asked the officials who came here how can they build toilets because we were not going to stay in toilets.”
He said residents questioned if any environmental impact assessments (EIA) had been done for the project. “If that was done, there was no way that a family house will be built a few metres from a dam. There’s no house that will be built literally in the quarry mine.”
Currently the ventilated improved pit (VIP) cement slab toilets are standing empty, with no signs they will be used. In a normal housing development, the EIA is done, water piping system installed and then roads are built before any housing project starts.
Despite questions sent to both the Great Kei municipality and Amathole district municipality, no response had been received at the time of writing yesterday.
But an official at Great Kei municipality, who is not authorised to speak to the media, admitted the toilets were an eyesore.
“This was supposed to be a flagship project for former farm labourers but today it’s an eyesore. You know, each VIP toilet costs between R10000 and R12000 and any person doing this project could easily pocket R12-million or more.”
Yesterday Zone 10 residents invited the Dispatch to their meeting to “clarify the issue of the toilets” but refused to give more information about the project.
“We are happy with this progress, please stay out of this project,” said community leader, Noluthando Lote. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Toilet city in veld mystery
The toilets were built on the pretext it was for a housing project, but three years later, the 1140 toilets are dwarfed by trees and there is no sign of any housing construction on site.
It was meant to be a flagship project for former farm workers in Komga, 70km east of East London, to benefit those who moved from commercial farms in the area.
Residents, who have been staying in broken temporary shelters for the past five years in Zone 10, were also promised they would be housed in the new development.
But today the former farm labourers are divided about the project, with some questioning it as “they never wanted toilets before houses”, while some have faith the project will be completed.
This week the Saturday Dispatch found toilets scattered across the veld. Some were built a few metres from a quarry mine while others were close to a local dam.
There were no roads and no indication of where houses could possibly be built. Some of the toilets had already started to sink into the ground.
A source, who did not want to be identified, said people wanted to know why toilets were built instead of houses.
“We asked the officials who came here how can they build toilets because we were not going to stay in toilets.”
He said residents questioned if any environmental impact assessments (EIA) had been done for the project. “If that was done, there was no way that a family house will be built a few metres from a dam. There’s no house that will be built literally in the quarry mine.”
Currently the ventilated improved pit (VIP) cement slab toilets are standing empty, with no signs they will be used. In a normal housing development, the EIA is done, water piping system installed and then roads are built before any housing project starts.
Despite questions sent to both the Great Kei municipality and Amathole district municipality, no response had been received at the time of writing yesterday.
But an official at Great Kei municipality, who is not authorised to speak to the media, admitted the toilets were an eyesore.
“This was supposed to be a flagship project for former farm labourers but today it’s an eyesore. You know, each VIP toilet costs between R10000 and R12000 and any person doing this project could easily pocket R12-million or more.”
Yesterday Zone 10 residents invited the Dispatch to their meeting to “clarify the issue of the toilets” but refused to give more information about the project.
“We are happy with this progress, please stay out of this project,” said community leader, Noluthando Lote. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos