The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes and supports the prompt response by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale to the ‘toilet farm' scandal in Tshiame, near Harrismith, where more than 1000 toilets have been build on plots of land which the local Maluti-a-Phofung municipality wants to sell to the poor people in the area.

COSATU totally agrees with the minister that this "represents the true and ugly face of corruption and misuse of power", and "the worst form of planning which degrades the dignity of the poorest of the poor".

The municipality must answer the charge that they erected the toilets on land earmarked for low-cost housing with the intention of illegally forcing people to pay R12 000 for a plot of land with a flushing toilet on it.

As the minister says, there is no way that officials can sell government toilets that are supposed to be free, or to make poor people pay for low-cost houses, which they are entitled to be given for free. In any case, the toilets are so close together that it would be impossible for people to build houses on the adjoining land.

COSATU insists that the police must investigate and arrest any councillors or officials found to be guilty of corruptly profiteering at the expense of the poor. Similar investigations must urgently be initiated into all the many similar allegations involving councils throughout the country. Words must be turned into deeds and heads must roll!

Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, July 13 2011

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