Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation in the provision of sanitation services in a South African Informal Settlement: A Case study of Isiqalo Area, in Cape Town

Abstract

The study investigates the efficacy of participatory monitoring and evaluation about sanitation service delivery rendered by the City of Cape Town in the Isiqalo informal settlement. The problem is that though the municipality (the City of Cape Town) provides sanitation infrastructure like bucket toilets, porta potties, and chemical waste toilets to this informal settlement in line with the constitution Act 108 of 1996 and these bucket toilets are supposed to be collected on a specific day in a week. Interestingly, this collection process does not happen consistently as these toilets are not regularly emptied. This irregularity in the collection of the buckets has emerged as a problem/challenge as these residents are forced to deal with human excrement for weeks with no alternative place to relieve themselves. This is de-humanising and requires in-depth investigation. In this light, this study seeks to understand how the involvement of the community through participatory monitoring and evaluation of sanitation services in the Isiqalo informal settlement can enhance the regularity of the removal of these bucket toilets. This is crucial since participatory monitoring and evaluation seeks to ensure that communities have a strong arm and means to hold the government accountable for service delivery in their communities.