DA to submit SAHRC complaint on bucket toilets in the Eastern Cape 

29 August 2014

The DA will initiate an investigation into the increased use of bucket toilets in the Eastern Cape. STATS SA yesterday released a report indicating that the number of households using the bucket system in the Eastern Cape increased appallingly from 38 606 to 52 732 between 2012 and 2013 (see report here - PDF). 

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) must investigate this as a matter of urgency to determine why and where this massive increase occurred.

Further, the report indicated that in the North West, 1481 households were using the bucket toilet system in 2012 and this increased to 1750 last year. In 2012, KwaZulu-Natal had zero reported households using the bucket system, however, in 2013, 1585 people were using it.

The DA will be initiating its own investigation to determine exactly in which areas of the Eastern Cape this has taken place. We will submit our research to the SAHRC to assist them to get to the bottom of the problem.

The use of bucket toilets is offensive and robs people of their dignity. It is shocking that the problem persists on such a large scale in the Eastern Cape. 

After years of promises to eradicate the use of bucket toilets - first by December 2014 and has now been extended to 2015- the time has come to hold those responsible to account. 

The SAHRC must identify those local governments that are responsible, and must enforce strong remedial action those governments responsible for this failure.

The DA will be extremely vigilant in identifying the hotspots, reporting them to the SAHRC and following up to ensure that remedial action is implemented. 

We must work together to systematically eradicate this injustice. 

Statement issued by Kevin Mileham MP, DA Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, August 29 2014

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