It is not a healthy situation to have no 24-hour public ablution facilities in Stellenbosch, said André Pelser, director of the Winelands Safety Initiative, and member of the Stellenbosch Homelessness Forum. “It’s a burning issue that must be resolved now,” he said. He suggests that the old ablution facilities behind the Town Hall (pictured above), should be serviced and reopened, said Pelser. PHOTO: Jess Holing
There is a lack of access to 24-hour ablution facilities for the homeless population within the Stellenbosch community.
This was according to André Pelser, director of the Winelands Safety Initiative, and member of the Stellenbosch Homelessness Forum, a platform that encourages various parts of the greater Stellenbosch community to contribute towards creating homelessness solutions.
The last public ablution facility, located behind the Town Hall in the Eikestad Mall parking lot, closed down five years ago, said Pelser.
The old ablutions near the Town Hall were in a central ablution location close to law enforcement, said Bettie Nieuwoudt, director at StellCARE. StellCARE is a non-profit organisation focused on assisting vulnerable children and families in Stellenbosch.
The decision was taken five years ago as the facilities were “unsafe and unhygienic” and subject to vandalism, according to Peter Johnson, council member of Stellenbosch Municipality focused on infrastructure.
However, if such facilities were made available again, someone needs to be appointed to take charge of the upkeep and maintenance of such facilities to work around issues of safety and hygiene, said Nieuwoudt.
Business owners complain about human excretion in Stellenbosch, but nobody comes up with a solution, said Bettie Nieuwoudt, director at StellCARE, a non-profit organisation focused on assisting vulnerable children and families in Stellenbosch. If public ablutions can be provided at the nearby beaches, they can be provided in the town too, she said. AUDIO: Jess Holing
‘What’s the alternative?’
Apart from making use of malls, restaurants or hotels, there is only one public toilet facility at the Bergzicht taxi rank, according to Pelser. This facility, however, closes overnight.
If an individual cannot afford to buy something from a nearby shop or restaurant in order to make use of their ablution facilities, there is nowhere to go, he said.
Business owners often complain about human excretion outside of their buildings, but “what is the alternative?”, asked Niewoudt.
There are no 24-hour public ablution facilities open in Stellenbosch, said André Pelser, director of the Winelands Safety Initiative, and member of the Stellenbosch Homelessness Forum. It is essential to have an accessible ablution facility for homeless people, and the above building, in the Eikestad Mall parking lot could be used as ablutions as it once was if it is reopened and serviced, said Pelser. PHOTO: Jess Holing
Recognising dignity
There is nowhere for homeless people to relieve themselves, she said.
“Just recognise a person’s dignity, and make ablutions [available],” Nieuwoudt said.
Reopening the public ablution facilities would benefit everybody in the town, including tourists, visitors, locals and business owners who are unhappy with the current situation, said Pelser.
“This is the reality, we can’t just wish it away or ignore it,” said Pelser.