Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo, together with the Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri District Municipality, Cllr Khumalo Molefe, and the MMC of Infrastructure Development at Ratlou Local Municipality, Thabo Motlapele, met and deliberated on solutions to sanitation challenges at the RDP Section of Setlagole Village in North West, as well as the incomplete bulk water supply scheme that has been stalled for the last ten years.
South Africa observes Sanitation Month from 15 October (Global Handwashing Day) to 19 November (World Toilet Day) — an initiative introduced by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to break the taboo of talking about sanitation and raise awareness about the consequences of poor sanitation, including the increase in makeshift toilets and open defaecation. World Toilet Day highlights that 3.4 billion people globally still live without access to safe toilets and calls for action to achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on water and sanitation for all by 2030.
DWS remains committed to ensuring access to dignified and safe sanitation in line with the Department’s approved Water and Sanitation Norms and Standards. These stipulate that municipalities designated as Water Services Authorities (WSAs) must provide basic sanitation services to all consumers or potential consumers in their jurisdictional areas, including those residing on privately owned land, as guided by the 2023 Water and Sanitation Policy on Privately Owned Land.
The Standards define basic sanitation as the provision of a toilet with a functional handwashing facility in the yard, which is safe, reliable, environmentally sound, private, well-ventilated, and easy to maintain. Municipalities must also ensure proper wastewater treatment and faecal sludge management, including safe emptying, transportation, treatment, and disposal.
However, in Setlagole RDP Section, many households face the challenge of full pit latrines that have not been serviced since the construction of the houses in 2015, posing serious health and environmental risks. Deputy Minister Seitlholo has called for an audit of functional and non-functional toilets in Setlagole Village to enable the Department, Ratlou Local Municipality, and Ngaka Modiri District Municipality to find a lasting solution.
“This situation not only poses a great environmental and health risk for the community, but also for young children and livestock that can fall into these open pits. Some households have resorted to building alternative pit toilets in their yards because the government-provided ones are full and unusable. We are calling for municipalities, with the Department’s support, to implement a faecal sludge management system to ensure that sanitation services meet the norms and standards of basic sanitation as dictated by the Water and Sanitation Act 108 of 1997,” said Deputy Minister Seitlholo.
Cllr Molefe acknowledged that the challenge stems from a lack of maintenance of the toilets by the local municipality after handover ten years ago. “Our expectation was that the municipality would maintain the toilets when they were full, but this has not been happening. With the Department’s intervention, I have issued a directive to have experts assist Ratlou Local Municipality to provide services and address this challenge,” he said.
In the North West Province, 72.7% of households have access to basic sanitation, with 49% using waterborne systems connected to wastewater treatment works. However, 51% still rely on on-site sanitation systems such as pit latrines or septic tanks, which require proper management to prevent health hazards.
Deputy Minister Seitlholo stressed the urgent need for faecal sludge management to ensure ongoing service to these households. “Municipalities must properly manage faecal sludge for beneficial use, such as producing by-products like manure, fertiliser, or biogas. The situation of pit toilets left full and abandoned is unacceptable and must be resolved urgently,” he said.
Regarding the stalled Setlagole Bulk Water Supply Scheme, the Deputy Minister called for its completion. Cllr Molefe noted that the project, managed by Magalies Water, is meant to treat and supply 2.4 megalitres of water to Setlagole and surrounding communities. He welcomed the Department’s support in unblocking such projects, as resolved at the Water and Sanitation Indaba earlier this year.
“The Department’s assistance gives us hope that all projects will be completed so that water supply challenges in the district can be resolved,” said Cllr Molefe.
Enquiries:
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
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