Government plans to eradicate the bucket system by the end of next month.

Human Settlements Minister Connie September made this statement after touring Extension 6 in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape to look at the progress made in eradicating the bucket system. She also handed out flushing systems to some of residents.

“We have said to the people of South Africa that we must continue to roll out sanitation as part of bringing dignity to our people. We do it before and after elections. It is an on-going process,” she said. September said that government’s plans are not simply because of the up-coming elections, reiterating that the country’s budget is not set around elections.

The national budget allocates R105 billion to municipalities for free basic water, sanitation, electricity and refuse removal services over the next three years. A total of R40 billion in infrastructure grants will also be transferred to local governments for water, sanitation, energy and environmental functions in the 2014/15 financial period.

With approximately 200 000 recorded bucket toilets, the Eastern Cape, together with the Free State, has the highest number of households still using the bucket system.