Residents forced to relieve themselves in the veld after contractor removes portable toilets.
RESIDENTS of Gatvol informal settlement in Delportshoop have been forced to relieve themselves in the bushes after their portable toilets were removed this week.
Community representative Richard Springbok said that Dikgatlong Local Municipality had promised that new portable toilets would be delivered yesterday morning at 8am.
“By Thursday afternoon the toilets had not arrived yet and I will wait here until they come,” said Springbok. “Elderly persons, as well as women and children, were forced to relieve themselves in the veld. A portable toilet was removed from the yard of a disabled lady. It appears as if the contractor had to remove the toilets due to non-payment.”
Springbok said that there had been six toilets that had to be shared among 300 residents.
“The people have been living here without a source of water or electricity for many years. There are no roads and the area becomes flooded whenever it rains. Residents who staged a service delivery protest were arrested and now they have criminal records, so it is difficult for them to apply for jobs.”
The technical manager at Dikgatlong Municipality, Thabo Swarts, said that arrangements were made with the contractor to deliver the toilets on Thursday.
“The previous contractor was paid in full and their contract came to an end. A new contractor was appointed to provide 24 portable toilets to Delportshoop, Windsorton and Barkly West over the next three years,” said Swarts.
He indicated that eight toilets would be supplied to Gatvol settlement.
