West Cape News

Steve Kretzmann

The saga over toilets provided for residents in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, appears to have reached an impasse, with the City of Cape Town having removed the remaining unenclosed toilets until residents erect their own structures, while sporadic protests continue to flare up.

Following violent protests over the issue on Monday and Tuesday this week, for which a total of 26 people were arrested, Khayelitsha police spokesperson Anneke van der Vyver said sporadic protests erupted last night.

She said residents attempted to block the busy Landsdowne Road with concrete pipes, tyres and rubbish, but were “contained” by police.

No further arrests were made or injuries reported, said van der Vyver.

A heavy police presence would remain in the area, probably until after the weekend, and would only withdraw when the area was calm.

Meanwhile, the city had removed 51 toilets in Makhaza which remained unenclosed after ANC Youth League and Ward 95 Development Forum members destroyed corrugated iron structures the city attempted to erect around them on Monday last week (May 24).

The toilets would only be reinstalled after residents built their own structures to accommodate them, said City of Cape Town Executive Mayor Dan Plato’s spokesperson Rulleska Singh.

While matters have boiled over into violent protests and inflammatory statements from both the ANCYL and Executive Mayor Dan Plato over the last ten days, political point scoring over the provision of toilets has been simmering since January this year.

Following agreements the City says were made in 2007, a total of 1 316 toilets were provided to households, predominantly in the Makhaza area, but they were not enclosed, resulting in residents having to relieve themselves in full public view.

The regional ANCYL then formally complained to the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC), accusing the DA-led city of “disregarding” the people’s “human rights, dignity and respect”.

The City’s justification was that there was an agreement with the community that either one enclosed toilet for every five households could be installed, or one unenclosed toilet per household, with residents agreeing to provide their own enclosures.

The latter, the City claimed, was what the residents agreed to, and, indeed, all but 51 of the toilets were enclosed by residents at their own expense.

The HRC has not yet released its findings.

But political pressure led to City officials attempting to erect pre-fabricated corrugated iron structures around the remaining unenclosed toilets on Monday last week, they were broken down, predominantly by members of the ANCYL and the Ward 95 Development Forum, according to City claims, amidst demands that concrete structures be provided.

The league’s Dullah Omar region executive member Loyiso Nkohla subsequently called on youth to vandalise city council property.

“We are calling on all young people to do this, especially those living in informal settlements. We are going to destroy everything,” Nkohla was reported as saying.

He was then rebuked by the ANC provincial task team head Membathisi Mdladlana for “ill discipline”.

The City’s decision to remove the remaining open-air toilets on Monday (May 31) this week sparked violent clashes, with police firing rubber bullets at protestors who barricaded streets with burning tyres, with one woman being injured as a result.

The violent protests continued on Tuesday morning, with a section of the N2 and Baden Powell Drive having to be intermittently closed off as residents pelted cars with stones.

Police had to use rubber bullets and stun grenades to force back protestors. As a result, 18 people were arrested on Monday for contravening the gatherings act, said van der Vyver, while a further eight were arrested during protests on Tuesday and charged with public violence.

Nkohla and Ward 95 Development Forum leader Andile Lili, whom Plato claimed was party to the decision to build unenclosed toilets during meetings held as far back as 2007, were among those arrested.

While the youth league has been vociferous, Plato also hit the headlines for saying residents should burn tyres in protest against the ANCYL leaders who were inciting violence, rather than against the city.

Singh said that was not exactly what the mayor meant.

“Plato was saying ‘why do communities protest against the city? They should be protesting against the youth league’,” said Singh.

Speaking today (June 3), she said she suspected the breaking down of toilet enclosures last Monday was instigated by the youth league in an effort to create anti-DA sentiment amongst township residents in the run-up to the Gugulethu-Heideveld by-elections that were held that week – the by-election was convincingly won by the DA.

Regional ANC Youth League officials could not be reached for comment, while ANCYL national spokesperson Floyd Shivambu hung up after saying he would not comment on what was happening in the Western Cape. – West Cape News