Ekurhuleni’s unemptied toilets — a health and human rights crisis

Companies contracted to empty portable toilets in informal settlements in the City of Ekurhuleni are failing to do their job, according to residents, posing severe health risks. Daily Maverick visited Vusimuzi in Tembisa and Lindelani in Windmill Park where residents are bearing the brunt of this crisis.

Read more: Ekurhuleni toilet tender 2.0: Same old s**t?

For nearly two decades, Vusimuzi resident Manapo Monyane has witnessed the neglect of her community. She described the ongoing sanitation crisis as not just a health hazard but a humanitarian issue.

“Initially, residents relied on pit toilets, which posed dangers, especially for children. When portable toilets were introduced as a temporary measure, they seemed like a safer alternative. However, years later, these same toilets have become a source of illness, infection and suffering,” she said.

Vusumuzi resident Manapo Monyane, who suffered two miscarriages linked to infections which she believes were caused by unsanitary portable toilets. (Photo: Michelle Banda)

Monyane said she regularly suffered from urinary tract infections which she blamed on the unsanitary conditions. She has tragically experienced two miscarriages – one in 2013 and another in 2022 – linked to recurring infections.

More residents speak out

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said the issue of toilets going unemptied for long periods began in July 2024. He said the toilets would go unemptied for a full month. Initially, there was no reason provided.

“Most of us survive with backhouse renting and you find that [when] at least 20 people are living in one yard, the toilets get easily full in less than a week.”

The resident said they should be emptied at least twice a week.

“But the minimum remains once a week every Tuesday and that’s also if they show up.”

Another resident, who also didn’t want to be named, said, “If and when the contractors come through, it is often late, between 3pm and 4pm, whereas the preferred time is the morning so they can go [on] with the day without the smell of faeces or the flies.

“The last time the councillor addressed us on the issue, he said the reason toilets were not emptied or cleaned was because contractors had not been paid, but that would be resolved.”

Red toilets vs blue toilets

Resident Dona Ramashala said that the most problematic toilets were those with the red colour scheme, which often went unemptied. When they were emptied,  the job done was not thorough. Workers allegedly sold the chemicals meant for toilet cleansing to community members, starting from R20.

“It was much better when the red toilets were contracted to a contractor known as B1; we got some form of service. The current service provider does not do a proper job because they don’t even use the chemicals they are meant to use to control smell, bacteria and flies; instead, they sell the chemicals to community members.

“We would rather prefer contracted workers from this very community who understand … our problems and would escalate them better to the contractor.”

In some instances, when toilets went unemptied for longer periods, the community claimed it had to call in trucks from another contractor for R50 per toilet. Others said they were forced to endure weeks without proper sanitation, significantly increasing health risks.

Unlike the poorly maintained red toilets, the community said the blue toilets were well kept and emptied every Monday. The only difference between them was the colour scheme, which signified management by different contractors.

Lindelani Informal Settlement: Protests and frustration

Residents in Lindelani, in Windmill Park, face similar struggles. A December 2024 protest aimed at pushing the City of Ekurhuleni to act on the toilet crisis yielded little change.

The aftermath of a protest in December 2024 by the Lindelani community for cleaner and permanent toilets. (Photo: Supplied)

“These toilets are temporary; we want a proper solution. The money they are using for this could be repurposed for proper toilets,” said a resident.

Another added: “We don’t even know who to contact for our toilet issues, hence we opt for protesting like we did in December, but very little has changed. It’s like when our issues are in the spotlight of the media there is some kind of service. After that there is nothing.”

Residents say ward councillors in both Vusimuzi and Lindelani have a proven lack of care on such issues.

Daily Maverick made several unsuccessful attempts for comment from local councillors. Vusimuzi ward 90 councillor, the ANC’s Hendrick Ntate Selwana, dismissed enquiries, while Lindelani ward 45 councillor, the ANC’s Nkululeko Sidu, was unreachable at the time of publication.

Contractors blame city for non-payment

Contractors responsible for emptying and maintaining the portable toilets say they have not been paid for up to 210 days. As a result, some have halted services, leaving toilets overflowing and unusable, while others continue if and when they receive payments.

A contractor told Daily Maverick he was owed R20-million. He asked to remain anonymous over fears that the city would not pay its debt if he spoke publicly.

Almost two weeks ago, he received a R1.5-million payment, his first from the city in eight weeks, he said.

“I have been speaking to different contractors over the last six to seven months and everyone I have spoken to has an outstanding cheque of 180 days or more ranging from six months to eight months. Between all these contractors, they service approximately 20,000 portable toilets.

“We are one of them. Our company services these toilets in close to 20 informal settlements and is currently being owed monies worth eight months of work and there are many more [other contractors].”

Contractors threaten to terminate service

He said his company was servicing the toilets after receiving the recent payment and would continue on condition of consistent payment. He noted services would, however, stop soon because of non-payment.

“The payments are so inconsistent that when they are made, there is never enough to catch up on the arrears. So the account keeps on staying on 210 days. It is never a situation where they pay two months or three months at a go, to catch up.

“Every time we enquire, it’s always a situation. We are told they are still capturing invoices or blame it on everything else, but we feel that is not the case. All our invoices that are due for payments are captured and on the system already, nothing is outstanding.

“I believe that it is a case of the City of Ekurhuleni simply not having money. We get told, you are going to be paid this week, and it just never comes. Some contractors have hinted already that they will stop servicing after the payment [of] almost two weeks ago.”

The contractor said he knew issues with nonpayment had a ripple effect on the communities they served, when toilets went unemptied for longer periods. However, this was a situation beyond their control.

“The situation puts our people at risk of getting cholera and other infectious illnesses. It’s a huge health hazard. But we cannot continue serving unless we get paid.

“The operation costs of servicing these toilets, it’s huge… R400,000 per week to dispatch the trucks to all the toilets allocated to our company. You can’t just come out with that money out of nowhere.

“And it’s going back to that tricky situation like it was in October, November, and December when communities protested because of a lack of service. It’s a bad situation for this basic human right to need.”

While attempts were made to contact more companies contracted for toilet-cleaning services, many were reluctant to respond, fearing potential reprisals. Daily Maverick was unable to contact others for comment.

Reports indicate that when the project began in 2016, at least 16 small suppliers were contracted, as reported by amaBhungane. This number appears to have dropped to 15 between 2019 and 2021. The present number of contractors remains unknown.

DA complaint to SAHRC

On 10 February 2025, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng lodged a complaint against the Ekurhuleni Department of Water and Sanitation with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over the non-payment of toilet suppliers at Ekurhuleni informal settlements.

The DA claimed: “The Ekurhuleni Department of Water and Sanitation has not been consistent in paying portable ‘bucket’ toilets suppliers. Consequently, the suppliers are struggling to maintain the toilet facilities, leaving residents without access to sanitation.

“This situation has caused frustration among the suppliers, who are contemplating withdrawing their services from Ekurhuleni altogether. Such an outcome would be catastrophic for the residents of these informal settlements, who depend on these portable toilets. The DA is requesting urgent intervention to stop the department from violating the people of Ekurhuleni’s right to access sanitation services.”

City of Ekurhuleni denies responsibility

Despite the ongoing crisis, the City of Ekurhuleni claims it has no knowledge of the issue and insists that no official complaints have been received. This contradicts both community testimonies and the recent SAHRC complaint filed by the DA.

According to city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini: “The city is not aware of areas not serviced for three months as alleged and services are continuing as normal.

“As for the DA’s letter to the SAHRC, we cannot comment on this because we only learned about it in the media and we have made it clear that as and when the commission calls us to respond on certain matters, we shall duly oblige and provide all the necessary facts required.”

Dlamini said, “The city pays all suppliers who render services to the city regularly. This is done as and when invoices have been submitted with all the necessary documentation and the verifications have been done.

“The city addresses all queries that are raised by service providers whenever issues are brought to the attention of the department. So far, the department is not aware of current threats and we shall continue to work in good faith with all our suppliers.”

The city did not confirm the total amount owed to contractors, but said, “Updated and latest statements were requested from service providers so that a consolidated latest amount can be determined. Only then can we understand if there are still any outstanding amounts.”

According to the city, the cost of maintaining the portable toilets in the metro is R54.2-million a month and about R650.6-million a year. In total, it is reported that there are 45,000 units deployed between all contractors in the city.

Leaked email

Daily Maverick has seen an email from Edwin Morulane, chief area engineer in specialised services at the city’s department of water and sanitation: operations division, dated 18 December 2024 and marked as “high importance”.

In the email, Morulane acknowledges outstanding payments to one of the key toilet contractors for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years, citing a “budget shortfall” as the likely reason invoices remain unpaid despite being submitted.

Daily Maverick was unable to reach the contractor for comment at the time of publication.

Morulane details a meeting held on 12 December 2024 between the head of department, the group chief financial officer and the contractor, where it was decided that the company would resubmit outstanding invoices with credit notes for verification and urgent processing.

In the same email, Morulane urges depots to expedite the submission of these invoices to department heads for quicker resolution.

This internal acknowledgement contradicts the city’s public denial of non-payment issues, reinforcing contractor claims that financial mismanagement is at the heart of the ongoing sanitation crisis in Ekurhuleni’s informal settlements.

The city did not respond to requests to comment on the email.

Tender bids are open for the appointment of service providers to hire, deliver and maintain chemical toilets in the City of Ekurhuleni on an as-needed basis. The contract will run from the date of award until 30 June 2028, with the bidding process open until 14 March 2025.

Community demands action

Residents of Vusimuzi and Lindelani want immediate intervention. Their demands include:

• Permanent, safe sanitation solutions instead of the continued reliance on portable toilets;


• Accountability from the City of Ekurhuleni, which must acknowledge and address the crisis;


• Contractor payments to be settled, ensuring toilets are regularly emptied; and


• Local hiring of workers to service and maintain toilets, ensuring reliability and accountability.

The right to proper sanitation is enshrined in Section 27(1)(b) of the South African Constitution, which guarantees access to sufficient food and water. Additionally, Section 24(a) affirms the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or wellbeing. The Water Services Act (No 108 of 1997) further obligates municipalities to ensure progressive access to sanitation.

The lack of proper sanitation in these informal settlements in Ekurhuleni is a direct violation of these legal provisions, putting lives at risk and undermining basic human dignity. DM