For many residents of Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay, access to safe and reliable sanitation has long been a daily struggle. But that reality is beginning to change, as a R1.8 million investment brings not just infrastructure but also renewed dignity and hope to the community.

The City of Cape Town has recently handed over 110 new full-flush toilets and 34 taps, transforming access to basic services for hundreds of households. For residents who have endured ageing, vandalised, and failing facilities, the upgrades mark a significant step forward.

Over the past nine months, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has installed more than 3,600 toilets across informal settlements.

At the same time, support teams have carried out nearly 5,000 repair and maintenance interventions to ensure that services remain functional and accessible.

Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says the City remains committed to ensuring that every resident, regardless of where they live, has access to dignified and reliable sanitation services.

“These new facilities add to the existing services in the area, which already include 338 full-flush toilets,132 chemical toilets, and 68 portable flush toilets.”

Badroodien says full-flush toilets, where conditions allow, offer a more sustainable and user-friendly solution. For residents, they also represent something far more meaningful: privacy, safety, and dignity.

The City adds that the project also created job opportunities in the area.

“To support the upkeep of these facilities, 24 new jobs have been created for janitors appointed from the local community through the Expanded Public Works Programme. In addition to cleaning, they play an important role in reporting faults so that maintenance teams can respond quickly,” the City added.

Philippi, Gugulethu, Delft, Khayelitsha, Strand, and Langa will see similar sanitation upgrades between April and June this year.