Beitbridge's Ramakgapola blames his subordinates over toilets issue

BEITBRIDGE Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola has blamed his subordinates for allegedly giving him false reports about conditions at Siya So Industrial Site, where about 375 traders have operated for years without access to toilets.

Ward 3 councillor Takavingei Mahachi described the situation as a health time bomb, questioning why the industrial site had no ablution facilities despite operators paying ZAR30 per day.

Responding to Mahachi's concerns, Ramakgapola said he only became aware of the extent of the problem after personally visiting the site recently.

“I have been getting false reports about the state of Siya So Industrial Site for years and it was recently when I went on my own to see the situation on the ground that I realised I was fed with false information. I will see to it that all works that need to be done is done,“ he said.

Ramakgapola promised councillors that the council would attend to the situation and rectify the problems at the site.

Mahachi said the absence of toilets at a busy industrial site posed a serious public health risk.

“We have a challenge at Siya So. More than 375 people are operating without a toilet, and that's a health disaster waiting to happen. The irony is we collect money from these operators every day,“ he said.

Mahachi also raised concerns over a structure that had allegedly been built on top of a soakaway intended to serve the site's toilet facilities.

The revelations have raised questions about the council's monitoring of municipal facilities and the use of revenue collected from traders, particularly as the site has reportedly operated for years without basic sanitation infrastructure.

Council is now expected to address the sanitation deficiencies at Siya So Industrial Site and ensure that traders and visitors have access to adequate ablution facilities.