Public toilets in Johannesburg have always been a stinky subject and the butt of many jokes.
But, all 33 inner-city toilets have been revamped and now resemble something out of an interior design magazine, fully tiled with drop lights over bordered mirrors, with soap dispensers and hand dryers, The Star reported on Thursday.
The toilets now have a team of permanent cleaners stationed there the whole day, whose job is to keep the ablutions clean.
The importance of public toilets is finally being recognised, said Jay Sunker, director of City of Johannesburg corporate services and facilities management and maintenance.
"Toilets play a very important role in any city. Over the past few years our toilets were in a terrible condition. They were not being cleaned regularly.
"We slowly started upgrading them all and have completed the last one. We have constant spot checks throughout the day and we can confidently say that 99 percent of the time the toilets are spotless."
One of the problems experienced was vandalism, but it had dropped dramatically since the upgrades, said Sunker.
"We have used as much vandal-proof materials as we could."
The theft of toilet seats remains a problem but because the cleaners are there all the time and can see what is going on through one-way glass, the incidence of vandalism had dropped, said Sunker.
Another problem was that people were breaking into the toilets at night to sleep or to store goods in.
The ablutions have now all been secured with fencing and lighting.
There are two bathhouses for the homeless and for those living in blocks of flats where the water has been cut off in Esselen Street, Hillbrow, and one in the city centre in Albert Street. People can shower and do their washing in an outside area, the report said. - Sapa