A community-based approach for the operation and maintenance of shared basic water and sanitation services in informal settlements within the municipal jurisdiction of the City of Cape Town

Abstract

This article adopted a participatory action research (PAR) approach to investigate whether there are local community-based opportunities for procurement of some operation and maintenance tasks for the recently refurbished public ablution blocks in an informal settlement within the City of Cape Town. ‘Public ablution blocks’ is a sanitation technology option, which is available for the provision of shared basic sanitation services that is provided to informal settlements within the City of Cape Town. The research was divided into three stages. The first two stages served as building blocks for the third stage of the research. The objectives of the initial stages were to obtain an improved understanding of “local knowledge” at community level, and to obtain an understanding of operation and maintenance activities in informal settlements that are currently being undertaken by City of Cape Town. The outcomes of this stage were to initiate contacts and to develop relationships with key stakeholders for their participation in focus group discussions for the third stage where they then identified opportunities and made recommendations to the City of Cape Town.