Cape Town - The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate’s Informal Settlements Basic Service (ISBS) branch is updating residents on significant operational changes coming into effect from Monday, July 1.
The City’s ISBS branch provides chemical toilets in informal settlements as part of its sanitation service, and has ensured the continued servicing and maintenance of 14 724 chemical toilets in 210 informal settlements in the city.
This is especially necessary in areas where it is geographically impossible to provide other types of toilets, such as full-flush toilets, due to space constraints (for laying pipes, reticulation infrastructure, or constructing toilet blocks) or because the informal settlements are located in wetlands or on private land.
Regarding the servicing of chemical toilets, residents should note a few regional operational changes:
- There is no change in the service provider for Khayelitsha. Sanitech will continue to service this area.
- Philippi and the southern regions will also be serviced by Sanitech.
- Kraaifontein, Dunoon, Langa, Strand, and Mfuleni regions will be serviced by Moreki. This tender is in place until the end of June 2026.
Chemical toilets will be serviced four times a week, with a regular janitorial service employed to keep the toilets clean between service days. This is essential to the well-being and health of residents who use the toilets.
In addition to cleaning toilets, janitors assist with reporting issues such as blockages and vandalism so that these can be addressed by the City’s maintenance teams.
It’s important for residents and job seekers to take into account that:
- Service providers are required to source new janitors from the local sub-council’s Job Seekers Database and employ them on a 12-month contracts.
- One janitor will be recruited for every 25 toilets.
- Janitors will work from Monday to Friday, with seven-hour workdays, as well as a five-hour workday on Saturdays.
Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said: “It is anticipated that this tender will create over 700 work opportunities in informal settlements across the city.
“Job seekers need to register on the City’s EPWP Job Seekers Database at their local sub-council office to be eligible for available short-term job opportunities in their area.
“EPWP opportunities are allocated on a randomised basis. Recruitment is currently under way and will be finalised as soon as possible,” Badroodien said.