By Nangamso Mabindla
22 September 2004

FOR Buffalo City to be a clean city it needs to solve sanitation problems in its communities, said environmental and sustainable development councillor, Luleka Simon at a recent workshop held with Swedish counterparts.

The workshop was aimed at educating ward councillors about the importance of having proper sanitation in their areas and to formulate a strategy for the creation and maintenance of a safe and healthy environment.

"Communities need to take responsibility of community toilets and other facilities," Simon stressed.

One Swedish facilitator who conducted a research into the status of the city's sanitation, Maria Lenna, said the city needed to improve its sanitation to meet international standards.

Areas of major concern were Mzamomhle (Gonubie), Duckets (Beacon Bay) and Manyamo Primary School.

"In some primary schools, 500 kids use three toilets. That is really unhygienic and we need to do something about that," said Shirley Fergus, the city's manager for environment and sustainable development.

The entire Duncan Village informal settlement only had 25 toilets for 10 000 people. "We'll need to look at those issues and also try and eliminate pit toilets, which are prevalent in some rural areas," said Simon.