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Councillor Lilian Mlilo cuts a ribbon to commission the Iminyela and Mabutweni new toilets in Bulawayo yesterday.Looking on is the owner of one of the toilets, Mrs Winnie Mbofana.

Nyaradzo Bakari, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council has commissioned 279 individual toilets in Iminyela and Mabuthweni suburbs, a development that will see most of the residents who have lived in the houses for more than 30 years finally owning the houses.

In 2012, the local authority said it would service the houses by building individual toilets before selling the houses to sitting tenants.

Residents from the two suburbs have for years been using communal toilets. More than three households shared one toilet and residents used to complain about the state of the ablution facilities.

Council, in partnership with Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation (ZIHOPFE), Dialogue on Shelter (DOS) and the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), provided about 80 percent of the required money through loans advanced to residents.

Residents had to raise the remaining 20 percent and pay back the loans over two years at $15 per month.

Speaking at the commissioning of the toilets, Health, Housing and Education Committee chairperson, Councillor Lilian Mlilo said the project was initiated in 2015 and the target was to build 325 toilets.

She said 279 toilets had so far been completed and the remaining will be completed soon.

“The project is not only meant to improve sanitation facilities but also to empower residents who can now buy the houses,” she said.

Clr Mlilo said sharing toilets and bathrooms was a very big challenge hence residents have every reason to celebrate the completion of the toilets.

She urged residents who have not joined the scheme to do so and benefit from the council programme to sell houses to sitting tenants. She urged beneficiaries to repay the loans to enable others to also benefit from the revolving fund. ZIHOPFE representative Mrs Julia Mpofu said they were happy that families now have individual toilets which they can keep clean. — @NyarieBakie.