South Africa: We Checked 470 Toilets in This Cape Town Informal Settlement. Only 45 Were Working

What the report says

GroundUp reported from Marikana informal settlement in Philippi East, Cape Town, where a toilet audit found severe sanitation failures affecting a community of more than 4,000 families. The article said the settlement has 470 communal toilets, but only 45 were working when GroundUp visited last week. Residents described missing doors, broken bowls and poor servicing, leaving many people to rely on nearby bushes or portable flush toilets for basic needs.

Community leader Loyiso Nkqitiza said residents have been dealing with these problems for more than eight years and that repeated attempts to raise the issue with the City of Cape Town have not brought a lasting fix. Resident Nowakhile Nkwitshi told GroundUp that the lack of privacy and unreliable maintenance can make people avoid using toilets, especially at night. The report also noted that one section of the settlement, said to house about 800 families, had only one working toilet in six blocks.

The City’s mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said there were 451 communal toilets and 1,625 portable flush toilets in the settlement, and that repairs to missing doors were being arranged. GroundUp’s account highlights a broader public-health and dignity concern in informal settlements, where sanitation breakdowns can affect safety, privacy and everyday living conditions.