DA questions use of bucket toilet eradication funds in N Cape

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is raising doubts about the government’s capacity to efficiently use recently allocated funds to eliminate the bucket toilet system in the province.

Premier Zamani Saul had announced a budget of R120 million last month, specifically designated for removing 540 bucket toilets in Campbell. However, the DA’s provincial leader Harold McGluwa expressed skepticism and advocates for a forensic investigation.

McGluwa’s concerns stem from the historical pattern of unmet targets for bucket eradication, dating back to 2006 and 2015. He points to a prior allocation of R21 million in 2016 for bucket eradication in Dawid Kruiper, revealing that approximately 7 000 informal households in this municipality still lack proper toilet facilities.

“Many people continue to suffer the indignity of unmaintained, unhygienic and unsafe bucket toilets.”

The DA is seeking a forensic investigation by the Auditor-General’s office into both present and past spending on bucket toilet eradication initiatives in the Northern Cape.