The government is committed to meeting its target of eradicating the bucket-toilet system in all formal settlements established before 1994, it said on Tuesday.
A statement from the South African Local Government Association and the departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Provincial and Local Government, and Housing said, ”All spheres of government are working together to ensure that plans and resources are pulled together to meet the deadline.”
To ensure this deadline was met an amount of R1,6-billion had been made available ”to provide better and more acceptable sanitation for all”.
Significant progress had already been made by August 2007. About 149 863 bucket toilets had been removed around the country from an initial backlog of 252 254 in February 2005.
With 103 716 buckets still remaining by August 2007, the collective effort of the Departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Provincial and Local Government, Housing and SA Local Government Association will ensure that buckets are eradicated by the target date of December 2007,” the statement said.
Buckets have been completely removed from Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The backlog remaining in the North West, Northern Cape and the Western Cape was small, the government said.
The Eastern Cape had the second biggest backlog.
Projects, however, were under construction and the December 2007 target was attainable.
The major challenges were in the Free State, which had the biggest backlog of 78 193 buckets at the end of August 2007.
No new formal houses or dwellings would be built without a proper and hygienic sanitation system, government said.
Bucket toilets in residential areas established after 1994 would be eradicated by 2010.
The issue of buckets in informal settlements would be resolved through the national housing programme by 2014. – Sapa