The Democratic Alliance has apparently not reacted to a court order to enclose the toilets at the impoverished Makhaza area in Khayelitsha. The toilets are being used as a major electioneering issue by the ANC.
According to Cape Town mayor, Dan Plato, the city had met with its attorneys to discuss the ruling from Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus compelling the city to enclose all 1 316 toilets.
In the judgment Erasmus said that failure to do so would constitute a violation of seven sections of the Constitution including the right to dignity.
Residents of the township have welcomed the judgment and added that they would welcome the council if it came to enclose the toilets that have been standing open since they were built months ago.
However, residents have said that they will not accept corrugated iron enclosures as these were not safe, were flimsy and represented a hazard particularly in windy conditions.
Erasmus said in his judgment that it was unfortunate that the issue of the open toilets had become the subject of a political contest between the ANC and the DA.
According to Plato the city has tried, on five occasions, to enclose the toilets but had been prevented from doing so by the residents. Angry residents pulled down the zinc enclosures that were erected at the site.
He says that in 2009 the city reached an agreement with the residents to put up a toilet outside every informal dwelling and at the time the residents had undertaken to enclose these toilets themselves.
Apparently 1 265 of the toilets were enclosed by residents but 51 were left open because the residents said that they could not afford to enclose them and this sparked the angry confrontation last year.
Readers' Comments Have a comment about this article? Email us now.