MyPE

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NMBM misleads SAHRC on status of Walmer Township sanitation

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Dear MyPE

The DA can reveal that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has misled the South African Human Rights Commission in responding to a Walmer Township sanitation complaint laid by the DA in September 2014.

Executive Director for Infrastructure and Engineering Dr Shaidi claims in a leaked document addressed to the SAHRC’s East London office dated the 14th December 2015 that construction of communal ablutions had by that time already commenced in Walmer Township. Shaidi further states that slabs and toilets would be built from April 2016.

This directly contradicts a 14th June 2016 report by the SABC in which Infrastructure and Engineering Political Head Andile Mfunda claims that the municipality is only now starting to look at building communal ablutions systems in township communities.

The DA first laid this complaint with the SAHRC in a continued effort to have dignified sanitation facilities delivered to our people, 145 000 of whom are still subjected to the inhumane bucket toilet system.

By lying, the NMBM has tried to mislead the SAHRC in order to manipulate the outcomes and delay the tabling of the investigation’s report.

“Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected” says our Bill of Rights, yet these bucket toilet users are systemically denied this right by the NMB government of the ANC which has now resorted to dishonesty in a desperate attempt to avoid taking responsibility.

Mayor Jordaan chuckled at his State of the Metro Address when he minimised the plight of bucket toilet users by claiming that only 9 or 10% of residents still use buckets. While Mayor Jordaan is happy to laugh at the 145 000 Bay residents who still use buckets, I will instead focus on fighting for their rights.

I have written to SAHRC Chairperson Adv Mushwana to alert him to the municipality’s blatant dishonesty. I have urged the SAHRC to ignore the municipality’s devious responses and to instead refer only to the findings from their in loco visits to Walmer Township.

The DA can win Nelson Mandela Bay, confirmed by IPSOS, and it is now more important than ever that the people of the Bay come out and vote for change.

The DA is preparing to govern in NMB so that a new government can begin working to eradicate the bucket toilet system, deliver better services, stop corruption and create jobs.

Regards

Athol Trollip

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Port Elizabethan

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