Cape Town: Through Informal Settlements and Basic Services (ISBS) branch of the Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town provided 709 new taps and 5,873 toilets, across 75 and over informal settlements during the 2024-25 financial year.
Reportedly, this forms a part of the ongoing commitment of the City of Cape Town to expand access to basic services, particularly clean water and safe sanitation. More than R35 million was invested in this effort.
The latest rollout brought the total number of services provided by the ISBS branch to 69,081 toilets and 10,488 taps across 702 informal settlements throughout the City of Cape Town at no cost to residents, with ongoing maintenance, funded by the city.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that the Water and Sanitation service delivery is about more than just provision of basic infrastructure. The hard work is being done by the Informal Settlement and Basic Services branch to maintain these facilities. These are to restore dignity and continuously improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable communities.
The City of Cape Town aims to install 750 taps and 3500 toilets. However, the tap target was narrowly missed due to delays in sourcing local labor. Another obstacle was the discovery of unknown underground services during excavations, necessitating changes in design and new wayleave approvals, as well as extensive community engagement needed in some cases to address extortion threats. These remaining installations will continue into the 2025-26 financial year.
Councillor Badroodien said that they acknowledge the infrastructure delivery in informal settlements that come with unique challenges. Still, the teams are working tirelessly often under very difficult circumstances to ensure that no communities are left behind due their socio-economic circumstances. Every tap and toilet installed is another step toward attaining dignity for all of the residents.
Notably, the City of Cape Town has already committed R39.1 million for further expansion of ISBS services this financial year, with upcoming installations in Langa, Nyanga, Philippi and Wallacedene.