Windhoek
Businesspeople plying their trade at Soweto Open Market and customers are dismayed by the smelly state of the public toilets that are constantly filthy.
The issue of the foul-smelling toilets was brought to the attention of the City of Windhoek that is currently addressing the marketeers’ grivances. New era last week spoke to some of the disturbed businesspeople and customers, who feel that this is another way of food contamination.
A place where food is being sold and people gather needs to be clean and should meet basic hygiene standards in order to attract more customers and allow people to stay in a good healthy environment.
“Soweto markets’ toilets are very dirty and stinky, the whole Soweto area is now affected by the smell, this is terrible and very disturbing. I think people must be hygienic because we are here to do business, customers come over to buy food because they are hungry but it is not healthy at all, this is contamination of food and our customers are not satisfied by the situation,” said one of the businesswomen operating from Soweto, Rossy Kapuike. Businesswoman, Miriam Ndinda told New Era cleaners try to do their best to keep the toilets clean but the truth is these are public toilets that everyone uses and “some people don’t care how they leave the toilets or how they look. They use and go knowing that the cleaners are going to clean. The toilets are truly smelling.”
Monica Joseph, another businesswoman, said, “The smell is not good at all, I think the owner must look for people who can seriously do the job so the place can be clean every day.”
“I think the reason they give a strong smell is because sometimes the toilets stay for days without being cleaned, something must be done we cannot take this anymore and one thing is we sell food.”
Another businesswoman said, “The place is clean but go the side of the toilets they smells like hell. I don’t know where the problem lies. We pay the owner our money but you find that there is only one toilet paper for everyone for the whole day, which is not enough for everybody.
“People must try to understand such situations and put them into consideration.” Despite the foul-smelling toilets many customers praised the way the owners of eatery stalls at Soweto Open Market prepare the food and they also commended them for good customer care.
“They attend to customers on time but the main problem remains the market’s toilets stink. Even if you were hungry, your appetite will just disappear because the smell engulfs the whole place,” said one of the customers, who had visited the market. Spokesperson of the City of Windhoek, Lydia Amutenya said, “The reoccurring toilet odour being experienced at Soweto Market has been reported to our maintance division and it is receiving our urgent attention.”