By Andile Nayika
All citizens are capable of flourishing as human beings who realise and free their potential. However, to fulfil this process, citizens must first have human capabilities. Physical functioning refers to movement and it includes healthy respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and muscular systems. Mental capabilities refer to psychological capacity which enables citizens to be alert or conscious of their environment, including thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. Human function does not exclude people living with disabilities as they may be healthy, physically and mentally capable. Basic human functions become greatly important in an ideal democracy, as they could impact citizens’ levels of involvement and participation in civic action and community affairs such as community meetings.
The South African constitution is the supreme law of the country, with intentions to break historical divisions and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. It also serves to lay the foundations for a democratic and open society, in which government is based on the will of the people and all are protected by the law. Its preamble concludes that it serves to improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person. In line with the SA Constitution, the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) is committed to the promotion of social justice and human development, championing the idea that all human beings have equal dignity and an equal claim on the resources that they require to meet their basic human needs and to exercise their human rights and capabilities.
Meanwhile, developmental challenges in sanitation services pose a potential threat to the wellbeing of the Makhanda community and thus their active citizenry. Poor sewage and water infrastructure management in Makhanda has resulted in the prevalence of streams and floods of human waste and wastewater in local communities. Research by the Action 4 Accountability (A4A) project, revealed that all residents from the bottom side of N Street in Lower Tantyi Location, have since the 1990’s been at the receiving end of the bucket toilet system, the management of which requires weekly collection of human waste. However, according to residents in the area, waste collection is inconsistent, with citizens having to wait months for buckets to be collected. The failure of regular collection results in the mismanagement of waste, as residents resort to throwing their uncollected buckets out in the open, directly exposed to the public. Coupled with this are streams of water and sewage in many communities like Tantyi Location. According to Environmental Health Practitioner from the Makana Sub-District Health Department Zizo Xhego direct exposure to human faeces and urine can cause serious harm to residents, putting their health and physical functions at risk. “Exposure to waste and wastewater can lead to stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea caused by bacteria. Another danger are fungal spores found in the sewage, that if mixed with air particles can cause lung infections, aggravated sinuses and asthma. Other concerns include allergic reactions, skin problems such as rashes and swelling, runny nose and watery eyes. Contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage could lead to E.coli and other bacteria could cause infections such as salmonellosis, typhoid and cholera” says Xhego. The impact of the infection is higher to residents with weak immune systems but infection rates locally have not been made public.
Not only do these sanitation challenges pose potentially negative impacts on the lives and wellbeing of Makhanda residents, but they also contravene Section 24 of the Bill of Rights, which states that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing, living in a protected environment, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that prevent pollution and ecological degradation, promote conservation, secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.
According to the 2024/25 Makana Municipal Draft IDP, in 2022 there were 114 bucket toilets recorded in the Makana Municipality. In the municipality’s Socio-Economic Review in the IDP, 19.7 % of the population uses pit and bucket toilets and 3.9 % has no access to sanitation services.
In October 2023, Makhanda A4A CivActs members, supported by the PSAM, lodged a submission to the Makana Municipality calling for the adequacy of the bucket toilet collection service in the interim but mainly the prioritization of the total eradication of bucket toilets in places like N Street in Makhanda. The A4A and the PSAM continue to engage the municipality, local stakeholders and residents in addressing these issues.
In its service delivery review, the municipality regards these sanitation issues as threats and weaknesses, others include ageing infrastructure, poor maintenance, possible lack of bulk supply in future, general inadequate wastewater treatment works capacity, collector mains and pump stations, sewer spillages and inadequate wastewater treatment plants, inadequate capacity of the sewer system. However, in the 2024/25 IDP the eradication of bucket toilets has been prioritized for wards 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11. However, this remains a crucial aspect of development which demands close monitoring.
Andile Nayika is a community facilitator for the Action for Accountability (A4A) at the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM).
