“The City of Cape Town as part of our commitment to being a Caring City, is constantly adopting new measures to provide the best practical possible levels of sanitation, and to restore dignity to citizens. We are therefore determined that the City eradicates, as quickly as possible, the use of the ‘bucket system’ wherever it may be in use in the City,” said Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille on Monday 13 May 2013.

According to de Lille, the City of Cape Town is determined to replace any vestige of the bucket with portable flush toilets (PFTs) and currently has approximately 12 500 portable flush toilets (PFTs) in storage. These units will now be provided to areas identified as still using the ‘bucket system’ to ensure the complete eradication of this system.

As part of their on-going efforts “to improve levels of sanitation, the City will also use the available stock and new supplies to continue with the provision of PFTS in areas where full flush toilets are unable to be installed,” advised de Lille, adding that this will include areas where there is encumbered land, high density or lack of space between informal structures which precludes the installation of full flush toilets, identified crime hot spots, no access to sanitation facilities less than 100 metres away from a dwelling, areas with high environmental risks and finally special needs residents, such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

Current context
According to a statement released by de Lille, currently there are 958 bucket toilets known and serviced by the City. “The very limited use of bucket toilets is a historical legacy, and it must be highlighted that they are not provided by the City as part of any of its programmes.

“In some instances, community members have indicated their preference to continue using this system, despite the availability of chemical and other toilets the City makes available to them. In all instances where the City is aware of the historical use of bucket toilets, these are cleaned by contractors, or by the City,” said de Lille.

She added that this initiative needs to be seen against the background of massively increased sanitation investment in sewage infrastructure which rose from R51 million in the 2006/7 financial year, to R130 million in the 2011/12 financial year.

Additionally, according to statistics quoted by de Lille, the number of toilets in informal settlements has more than doubled from 10 591 to 34 225 over the same period. “As a direct result of this, the percentage of households with access to sanitation on a 1.5 ratio has increased from 47.1% to 88.2% between 2006 and 2012.”

TABLE INDICATING AREAS WHERE THE ‘BUCKET SYSTEM’ IS IN USE

Informal Settlement Name	May-13
Boys Town and KTC	669
Rasta Kamp (Sir Lowry’s Village)	89
Savage and Lovemore (Sir Lowry’s Village)	17
Pinetown (Sir Lowry’s Pass Village)	21
Uitkyk (Sir Lowry’s Pass)	18
Morkels Cottage (Sir Lowry’s Pass)	39
France (Khayelitsha)	105
TOTAL	958

PFT preferred?

De Lille adds that a PFT provides “the same privacy, dignity and safety as a normal full flush toilet.” The waste is flushed away into a container underneath the flush unit, out of sight as with a normal flush toilet, to minimise odours. Each PFT is provided with two waste containers. One is attached and the other is used as a replacement when the first is full, or serviced. “The PFTs are serviced three times a week.”

Additionally, according to the statement, PFTs are allocated to a single household for use within that household and are therefore largely protected from the elements of vandalism. There are currently 11 307 PFTs in use across the city.

De Lille did however highlight that the City is concerned that 50 of the attachment tanks have been reported stolen and 6000 units have had to be replaced due to high levels of wear and tear, “at a rate far higher than initially expected.”

“The City has therefore had to make special provision for the procurement of waste tanks as a separate item to help manage this high attrition rate,” said de Lille.

TABLE ON CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF PFTS

Name of Informal Settlement	Quantity
Albert Luthuli	43
BM Section	930
DT/BT Section	673
CCT Section	334
Khunkqu	331
RR Section	579
Zola	207
Imizamo Yethu	33
Lindelani Park	279
BBT Section 4	124
Lwazi Square	35
TR Section	854
Creches(92)	1,230
P J S	168
T R C	63
Loyd-Klipfontein	449
Site C – AT Section	121
Nkanini	3,109
Luzuko-Loyd Section	635
Valhalla Park	484
CT/Tshabalala	104
Bhekela	22
The Heights (Seawinds)	1,500
Total	11,307

“We acknowledge that challenges still exist. But with the help of, and input from communities, we are confident that these challenges will continue to be met.

“This administration will continue to use all the resources at our disposal in order to provide our residents, particularly those most in need of our assistance, with as many services, and as much support, as possible,” concluded de Lille