Maputsoe man launches unique business that has however, met with mixed feelings
Mohau Serabele
Many a time, you go into town for some errand or just to meet a long-lost friend.
Then suddenly and out of nowhere, you get that urgent call of nature! Where do you go?
The next public toilets are a long walk away, and you hasten to the place and on arrival, the gentleman at the door tells you “sorry, the toilets are not in use today; we do not have water”.
The pain and frustration caused by this message is usually unbearable, and for men, they then just resort to urinating in the open with the excuse that sekotlo sa monna ke leralla (the back of a man is a hill).
But for the womenfolk, the solution is not that simple as they would have to continue with the struggle to find a nice place where they could conveniently respond to the call of nature.
And in a bid to address this public problem or need, a man from Maputsoe Ha Mathata has erected a makeshift public toilet along one of the busiest streets of the industrial town of Maputsoe.
Tsane Ntabanyane casually walks over to his loo fashioned out of corrugated iron sheets and begins to polish its outside walls, leaving it extremely shiny and clean.
“I came here very early to clean the place before people stream into town. I have to make sure when the town gets busy the place is already clean because there are no public toilets around here,” Mr Ntabanyane on Thursday told the Sunday Express.
By this time, Mr Ntabanyane is cleaning the latrine’s interior and after he is done, neatly places tissues in a small box just next to the toilet-seat.
The odd thing about this innovative toilet is its location along Sir Seretse Khama Road, which cuts right through the middle of Maputsoe, and just opposite the loo—across this busy street—is a row of shops and a commercial bank.
After his chore is done, Mr Ntabanyane sits patiently next to the toilet and only moves when a ‘client’ approaches.
“Since I set up this place about three months ago, business is booming although I charge a modest M2. The place provides useful services to desperate people who are pressed to respond to the call of nature,” Mr Ntabanyane said.
Mr Ntabanyane, who is a father of two sons, told the Sunday Express he decided to establish his unique business after realising council was letting the people down.
“Normal public toilets in this town hardly work, and people have been complaining about the inconvenience this has been causing them. It was because of these complaints that I decided to set-up this toilet, which is now providing a much-needed service,” said Mr Ntabanyane.
He quickly adds: “I can’t really say I am in business; what I am doing is serve the people and reassure them that they have nothing to worry about when they are in town and want such a facility.”
Soft-spoken and extremely courteous, Mr Ntabanyane said he became a street vendor in 1999 after being retrenched by a certain mining firm in South Africa.
Desperate due to his unemployment, Mr Ntabanyane says his wife subsequently left him, and with two sons to look after, decided to start selling fruits and cooked food on the streets of Maputsoe.
“I have been moving from one form of street business to the other. Through this lifestyle, I have been able to send my sons to school. I am really proud that my eldest boy is now doing a diploma in Civil Engineering at a certain local college.”
Yet despite providing a desperately needed service, Mr Ntabanyane’s latrine venture has been received with mixed feelings.
“Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with this initiative, and I have had many arguments with members of the Maputsoe Urban Council.
“They want me to move the toilet from here, saying its location is not ideal as it is on the pavement of a busy street, but I am not going to leave this place. This is a convenient location where people can see and access the toilet easily. I cannot take it elsewhere where no one will know about it,” he said.
The latrine uses a bucket system and every evening, Mr Ntabanyane takes away the container and empties it in a pit next to his home.
“The human waste from this latrine is also useful for me because I use it as manure for my crops at home. I just have to make sure the place is clean so that people are free and comfortable to use it.”
To dissipate the smell coming from his enterprise, Mr Ntabanyane uses strong detergents to clean the loo. “The toilet has been here for a while now and I have not heard anyone complaining about the smell.”
The Sunday Express spoke with some Maputsoe residents about their views on Mr Ntabanyane’s initiative, with many in support of his innovation.
“Public toilets in Maputsoe are not easily accessible; they are just too far from where the people are. This new toilet is conveniently close to everyone as it is right in town,” said Alice Rabasotho.
She, however, complained that it does not guarantee the privacy a person might need.
“The facility is right on the pavement, so it is somehow not entirely private for people who go in there.”
On his part, a man who identified himself as Telang, said he found the idea of a toilet “on the street very interesting”.
“The man who came up with this concept needs to be commended for his bravery. Very few people are bold enough to earn a living out of such a business. Many of our people would rather be jobless than live this way. For this reason, we need to congratulate this man and support his efforts to make a difference in his life. ”
Asked how he felt about his business, Mr Ntabanyane said the important thing was he had found an honest way to earn a living.
“There is no way I can find a decent job because I only went up to Standard Two at school. You cannot expect me to get a good job with that level of education, so if I don’t think of different ways to earn a living, I am doomed.”
Mr Ntabanyane also revealed that he was planning to establish two more street-toilets in Maputsoe.
“I am hoping to negotiate with council officials so that they don’t give me problems the way they are harassing me now. I am a simple man trying the best he can to earn money honestly,” he said.
Meanwhile, there was no immediate comment from council on Mr Ntabanyane’s claims of harassment.