Toilet politics at Emakhazeni

Much the same as any other town’s cluster-offices, the difference being, they have no water.

The Belfast cluster command have had to welcome the community, and top brass to their offices at 3 Rissik Street, for twenty weeks, without a drop of water available. Their frustration has now rippled to the rest of Belfast who’ve been without water since Monday.

At its poles the situation is so frustrating that at the serious end, toilets cannot be flushed posing a health risk, and at the trivial end, officers have to endure their days without coffee, because cups cannot be rinsed.

For the rest of Belfast, its much more serious because no provision for tankers have been made, leaving residents without any water to cook.

The cluster-office serves as the area-office for the four surrounding police stations, Dullstroom, Machadodorp, Laersdrift and Roossenekal.

Dry taps have been reported by almost everyone in the office, countless times, and promises of Jo-Jo tanks filled by the municipality to alleviate the situation, have not been adhered to.

“We’ve even brought stink under the attention of the health inspector, to no avail,” an irate member described the bathroom situation.

Members complain that every complaint is treated as new since the municipality has no complaint logging system, leading to confusion among municipal staff.

“Each passes the buck to the other, and no clear answers are forthcoming,” another member complained.

The DA’s water and electricity portfolio member, Mr John Stevens, says that the cluster cops have it wrong, they’ve actually been without water for more than 20 weeks running.

According to him, the cluster-offices and entire Extension 3, has had to make do with dry taps because of the high rise water tank servicing the area, being defunct.

He says a second tank was fixed recently, servicing neighbouring extensions, and that the municipality is well aware of the large areas still affected by the drought.

“Tenders have been advertised, calling for contractors who can install new high rise tanks for the affected area,” Mr Stevens said.

He could however not say, by when the problem would be solved.

Trying to get hold of any municipal official is impossible, the phone rings a few times before a monotone computer generated voice declares – “No one is answering,” where after the line goes cold.

•According to an sms sent out, this weeks drought was caused by faulty pumps, and according to the municipality, the situation would be rectified by today.

Before going to print, Belfast was still experiencing what the SAPS cluster officers have been experiencing the past five months.