Harare Urged To Stop “Pay-To-Pee” System And Make Public Toilets Free

The City of Harare has been urged to scrap charges for public ablution facilities after evidence emerged that kombi drivers, conductors and vendors are relieving themselves in buckets and plastic bottles at bus termini.

The call was made by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife permanent secretary, Simon Masanga, during a clean-up exercise at Market Square bus terminus in Harare last week.

Masanga said officials were concerned by unhygienic practices discovered during the operation, including buckets and plastic bottles filled with urine that had been thrown under parked buses.

“This is deplorable,” he said, adding that the ministry had collected evidence of the practice on site.

He said some transport operators and vendors had resorted to the bucket system to avoid paying to use public toilets, particularly during the current cold spell when people visit toilets more frequently.

“We are urging the City of Harare to avoid charging fees for use of ablution facilities. In this cold weather, people visit toilets many times, and some of them have turned to bucket systems, which is a serious health hazard,” Masanga said.

He stressed that access to clean water and ablution facilities is a basic right.

“People have rights to clean water and ablution facilities. The City Council maintains the cleanliness of our environment, and we urge residents and commuters to avoid throwing litter everywhere. Put waste in the bins provided and use toilets instead of urinating in public,” he said.

The clean-up, which brought together vendors, drivers and conductors, also focused on indiscriminate littering along major routes.

Officer Commanding Harare Province, Commissioner Maxwell Chikunguru, who also took part in the campaign, warned travellers against throwing litter through bus and kombi windows.

“Let us consider throwing litter in bins provided in our buses and kombis and avoid throwing litter through windows,” said Commissioner Chikunguru.

“We have lost lives and some have been left with permanent injuries due to road traffic accidents caused by travellers who throw litter and disturb motorists along the roads.”

Masanga, meanwhile, commended Geo Pomona Waste Management for improving cleanliness in the capital, saying waste collection had improved since the company took over operations.

“Harare has improved in cleanliness since the coming in of Geo Pomona and the collection of waste has significantly improved,” he said.

More: H-Metro