GOOD Press Statement by Axolile Notywala ,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
19 November 2024
The GOOD Party calls on the City of Cape Town to ensure the upcoming 2025/26 budget reflects a commitment to inclusive, safe, and dignified sanitation for all.
Today, on World Toilet Day, we are reminded of a critical issue that demands our attention: the lack of safe and dignified sanitation for residents in Cape Town’s informal settlements.
In 2016, the brutal rape and murder of Sinoxolo Mafevuka in a communal toilet, 200 meters away from her home, in an informal settlement in Khayelitsha brought the world’s attention to the safety risks faced by many living in these conditions in Cape Town, particularly women and girls who use shared or public toilets.
Her tragic death was not an isolated incident; it is a stark reminder that the inadequate sanitation infrastructure in informal settlements is not just a public health and safety issue, but also a grave human rights issue.
8 Years later, the situation remains unchanged.
All across Cape Town, informal settlements are plagued by overcrowded, unsafe, and poorly maintained communal toilets.
These facilities, often lack privacy and lighting, posing a serious safety risk.
Many residents, particularly women and children, face threats of violence simply for using public toilets.
These conditions violate the basic human rights of dignity and safety that every person deserves.
It is unacceptable that in one of South Africa’s wealthiest cities, so many of our fellow residents still do not have access to clean, safe, and private toilets. We must change this reality, and we must do so now.
The GOOD Party’s Spatial Justice Plan, as outlined in its 2021 manifesto, calls for urgent action to correct the spatial and social inequities that continue to affect our city’s most vulnerable communities.
The GOOD Party advocates for addressing the deeply entrenched inequalities in access to services, infrastructure, and basic rights for those living in informal settlements.
The Party’s vision of a just, inclusive Cape Town is one where every resident, regardless of where they live, has access to dignified sanitation, clean water, and safe living conditions.
In line with this vision, we call on Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and the City of Cape Town to:
- Prioritize Informal Settlements in the Budget: The City’s budget must reflect a commitment to ensuring that informal settlements have the same access to essential services as wealthier areas of the city. This includes allocating adequate resources for safe, clean, and well-maintained toilets in these communities, along with investments in waste management, clean water, and other essential infrastructure.
- Promote Safety and Gender Equity: Women and children are most at risk, they must be at the centre of the City’s planning and development. Safe sanitation should be a priority in areas where gender-based violence is a daily threat. Communal toilets must be equipped with locks, adequate lighting, and proper security to ensure that women and girls can access these facilities without fear for their safety.
- Implement Long-Term Solutions for Safe Sanitation: The GOOD Party’s Spatial Justice Plan speaks to the need for sustainable, equitable solutions. Building toilets is not enough if those toilets are not safe, well-maintained, and accessible. We need a commitment to long-term planning for sanitation that addresses the underlying issues of overcrowding and resource allocation in informal settlements.
- Engage Communities in Planning: True spatial justice can only be achieved when communities themselves are involved in planning the solutions. The City must consult with informal settlement residents, especially women and marginalized groups, to ensure that sanitation services meet their specific needs and are tailored to their realities.
We Must Act Now!
The City of Cape Town has a responsibility to prioritize the needs of its most vulnerable residents, particularly those living in informal settlements.
On this World Toilet Day, let us stand together and call on the City of Cape Town to put the needs of informal settlement residents at the heart of its budget.
Safe, clean, and dignified sanitation is not a luxury; it is a basic human right.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za