Cathcart families left with full pit toilets for a year

Residents of Ndlovini informal settlement in the Cathcart area of the Eastern Cape have endured a year of overflowing or blocked toilets. Many people resort to relieving themselves in open fields, while others have constructed their own pit toilets. The Ndlovini settlement comprises over 500 homes, primarily mud houses and shacks.

Amathole District Municipality (ADM) spokesperson Sisa Msiwa disclosed that the municipality installed 40 pour-flush pit toilets prior to 2021. However, community leader Buyisile Booi revealed that each toilet was shared among five to seven families, leaving most residents without access. The pit toilets required water for flushing, sourced from communal taps that were frequently dry for extended periods.

When taps were dry and residents relied on water tanks, they lacked the necessary water to properly flush the toilets. Despite ADM's promise to empty the pits annually, their initial attempt in 2023 failed, damaging the structures. In 2023, 100 ventilated improved pit (VIP) toilets as part of a sanitation project for Amahlathi Local Municipality wards 1 to 15 were installed in Ndlovini.

However, some of these toilets were constructed on wet ground, causing them to fill up rapidly. Community liaison officer Loyiso Dastile stated that the contractor had assured them they would address the issue, but they never did. Booi has been requesting ADM to empty the toilets since November 2025. Initially, he was informed that the municipality's sanitation truck had broken down.

In January, he received the same explanation, and in March, he was told the truck would be dispatched, but it never arrived. Msiwa mentioned that the municipality conducted inspections to determine the suitable emptying method and is in the process of appointing a service provider to assist with this task. According to a 2025 ADM report presented at a roadshow event in Ndlovini's town hall, 1,250 VIP toilets have been installed, but the municipality is facing a backlog of 1,496 units across the wards due to depleted funds. The municipality is currently seeking additional funding.