Bulawayo CBD faces an open defecation crisis with only 10 toilets

Only 10 functional public toilets serve an entire central business district, and open defecation is becoming a visible consequence.

Bulawayo's CBD toilet crisis

• Bulawayo's CBD runs on just 10 working public toilets.
• Open urination and defecation plague the sanitary lanes citywide.
• Edwin Mzingwane Sibanda flagged the issue in council minutes.
• High daily foot traffic makes adequate facilities essential.

How bad the distribution problem is

• Zero public toilets exist between 11th and 15th Avenue.
• Two facilities on 15th Avenue sit closed from disrepair.
• Three of the ten operational toilets are free to use.
• Vandalism keeps shrinking the usable infrastructure further.

Situation beyond the city centre

• Eighty-six public toilets exist outside the CBD area.
• Only 18 of those currently function at all.
• Water-shedding, labor shortages, and disrepair closed 68 facilities.
• A formal Public Toilet Strategy is being drafted.

Short-term and long-term fixes proposed

• Staffing levels need to be doubled at free public toilets.
• Six leasable sites could convert into public facilities.
• Modern, disability-friendly toilet blocks top the long-term wishlist.
• Public-private partnerships and user fees fund the expansion plan.