| Public toilets in South Africa | |
|---|---|
.jpg) UDD toilet | |
| Language of toilets | |
| Local words | WC |
| Men's toilets | Men |
| Women's toilets | Women |
| Public toilet statistics | |
| Toilets per 100,000 people | 4(2021) |
| Total toilets | ?? |
| Public toilet use | |
| Type | Western style sit toilet Urine diverting toilets |
| Locations | Government buildings Shopping malls cafes bars restaurants |
| Average cost | ??? |
| Often equipped with | ??? |
| Percent accessible | ??? |
| Date first modern public toilets | ??? |
| . | |
Public toilets in South Africa are limited in quantity. They can be found at government buildings, malls, cafes, bars and restaurants. Sludge management often dictates the type of public toilets built, with types including urine diverting toilets. Open defecation still takes place in the country when toilet access is rare.
Public toilets
editA 2021 study found there were four public toilets per 100,000 people.[1] In South Africa, the need for sludge management was an issue when considering the type of public toilets to be constructed. [2]
Public toilets, both business and government owned ones, often charge; it is not illegal for businesses to charge customers to access their toilets.[3]The area near Table Mountain National Park has no public toilets.[4] Many of the hostels in Langa and Nyanga have units that hold 16 men, with a shared toilet and toilet in each unit.[5]
At some game reserves, the public toilet is a pit latrine located at a break in the reeds.[6]
History
editIn majority white ruled parts of the country in the late 1970s, public toilets were often available and well maintained as a means of reinforcing racial segregation. These facilities were also something demanded by local white expatriates. This contrasted with public toilet services for other people, which were largely non-existent.[7]
Open defecation and sanitation
editProgress began to be made in general waste management in the 1990s.[8]
By city
editCape Town
editCape Town has only a few public toilets. Many locals go to malls instead, as those reliably tend to have public toilet facilities. Many cafes, bars and restaurants in Cape Town also have toilet facilities, which they often allow non-clients to access upon request.[5]
Durban
editPublic toilets in Durban included urine diverting toilets and community ablution blocks.[9] People who needed to travel further than 75 meters from their residence in Durban in order to defecate were more likely to engage in open defecation.[10]
Over 2,500 public toilets were created in over 500 informal settlements Durban by repurposing shipping containers. The toilets then had a paid part-time attendant on site to maintain these facilities. The toilets cost around USD$65,000 each to construct. Free to use, the toilets serve a population over over 1 million people, with an acceptance rate of around 80% inside local communities.[11]
The local government in Durban did a community consultation before building new community toilets. During the consultation, one of the things they found out was that residents wanted a space where they could read and relax away from their home and from work. When the government built toilets and renovated existing ones, they allowed attendants to set up games and music near them. This allowed local residents their desired place to relax and socialize in the community.[10]
Johannesburg
editPublic toilets in Johannesburg were segregated in the 1980s.[12]
Regional and global situation impacting public toilets in South Africa
editAround 2.5 billion people around the world in 2018 did not have access to adequate toilet facilities. Around 4.5 billion people lacked access to proper sanitation.[13] Public toilet access around the world is most acute in the Global South, with around 3.6 billion people, 40% of the world's total population, lacking access to any toilet facilities. 2.3 people in the the Global South do not have toilet facilities in their residence. Despite the fact that the United Nation made a declaration in 2010 that clean water and sanitation is a human right, little has been done in many places towards addressing this on a wider level.[14] 344 million children in sub-Saharan Africa did not have a toilet in their home in 2018. The lack of toilet access put these children at risk of water borne diseases.[13]
Across Africa, open defecation had social consequences. These included loss of dignity and privacy. It also put women at risk of sexual violence.[15] Lack of access to adequate sanitation in the 2000s and 2010s left women particularly vulnerable to gender violence.[16]
There are generally two toilet styles in public bathrooms in Africa. One is a traditional squat toilet. The other is a western style toilet with bowl and a place to sit.[4][17]
References
edit
- ^ QS Supplies (11 October 2021). "Which Cities Have The Most and Fewest Public Toilets?". QS Supplies. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ Cross, Piers; Coombes, Yolande (2013-10-04). Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa: Where do We Stand?: Analysis from the AfricaSan Conference, Kigali, Rwanda. IWA Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78040-542-1.
- ^ Huter, Paul (2018-07-09). "20 Places Where Tourists Actually Need To Pay To Use The Washroom". TheTravel. Retrieved 2022-10-14.
- ^ a b Planet, Lonely; Ham, Anthony; Atkinson, Brett; Bainbridge, James; Butler, Stuart; Carillet, Jean-Bernard; Clammer, Paul; Corne, Lucy; Filou, Emilie (2017-11-01). Lonely Planet Africa. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-78701-147-2.
- ^ a b Planet, Lonely; Richmond, Simon; Bainbridge, James; Carillet, Jean-Bernard; Corne, Lucy (2018-10-01). Lonely Planet Cape Town & the Garden Route. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-78868-146-9.
- ^ Jones, Rachel Pieh (May 2016). "Around the World in Toilets". EthnoTraveler Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
- ^ Affairs, United States Department of State Bureau of African (1979). AF Press Clips.
- ^ Fobil, JN; Hogarh, JN (2009-09-04). "The dilemmas of plastic wastes in a developing economy: Proposals for a sustainable management approach for Ghana". West African Journal of Applied Ecology. 10 (1). doi:10.4314/wajae.v10i1.45716. ISSN 0855-4307.
- ^ Strande, Linda; Brdjanovic, Damir (2014-08-15). Faecal Sludge Management: Systems Approach for Implementation and Operation. IWA Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78040-473-8.
- ^ a b International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (2018). "Shared and public toilets, Championing delivery models that work" (PDF). International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- ^ International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (2018). "Shared and public toilets, Championing delivery models that work" (PDF). International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
- ^ AF Press Clips. Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State. 1984.
- ^ a b Associated Press (19 November 2018). "World Toilet Day Highlights Global Sanitation Crisis". VOA. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ Glassman, Stephanie; Firestone, Julia (May 2022). "Restroom Deserts: Where to go when you need to go" (PDF). AARP.
- ^ Reuters (2016-11-18). "Pakistan among 10 worst countries for access to toilets". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ WaterAid (2019). "Female-friendly public and community toilets: a guide for planners and decision makers" (PDF). WaterAid.
- ^ Planet, Lonely; Ham, Anthony; Bainbridge, James; Corne, Lucy; Fitzpatrick, Mary; Holden, Trent; Sainsbury, Brendan (2017-09-01). Lonely Planet Southern Africa. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-78701-240-0.