Municipality subpoenaed in toilet probe
2013-03-13 17:54
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Johannesburg - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has
subpoenaed the Moqhaka local municipality over its failure to enclose toilets
in Rammulotsi in the Free State.
It would appear before a commission of inquiry on
Thursday.
"Should the Moqhaka local municipality fail to
appear before the inquiry, the commission intends to escalate this to the
attention of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the SA Police Service
(SAPS) for further action," commission spokesperson Isaac Mangena said in
a statement on Wednesday.
The commission has to find out why the municipality
reneged on its obligations to enclose toilets, and why it failed to provide
regular progress reports.
In September 2010, residents of the Rammulotsi township
near Viljoenskroon lodged a complaint with the commission after the
municipality installed unenclosed toilets in the area.
The commission subsequently made a finding against the
municipality in May 2011 and found the toilets were a violation of residents'
right to dignity.
Among the commission's recommendations was that the
municipality enclose all the toilets as a matter of urgency, and furnish the
commission with a progress report at least every six months.
The commission had been monitoring the implementation of
the recommendations and was disappointed that the municipality had not adhered
to it.
The last progress report was due at the end of January,
Mangena said.
- SAPA