SAHRC FINDS CITY OF CAPE TOWN'S LACK OF SANITATION PLAN UNREASONABLE AND RACIALLY DISCRIMINATORY
Recommendations a victory for residents of informal settlements!
The life of every person living in informal settlements, both in Cape Town and throughout the country, will be altered in what is a major victory in the struggle for dignity and equality by poor and working class people.
An investigation (See here: Investigative Report - Western Cape - Social Justice Coalition - 9 July 2014) by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) finds that the City's long-term use of temporary sanitation facilities and lack of a plan for sanitation delivery in the city, violated the rights of residents of Cape Town's poor and working class communities. It finds that the City unfairly racially discriminated against black African people in Cape Town and instructs the City to develop a comprehensive plan for sanitation within 6 months.
The investigation resulted from a complaint by the SJC, following our social audit on ‘Mshengu' chemical toilets - an outsourced service for which the City paid over R100 million between 2010 and 2013.
The SJC will hold a press conference to discuss the findings and recommendations.