Editing Water supply and sanitation in South Africa (section)

===National Sanitation Strategy, Bucket Eradication Programme and Free Basic Sanitation Implementation Strategy===
In February 2005 the government launched a programme to eradicate the use of [[bucket toilet]]s. Bucket toilets consist of a bucket placed under a toilet seat; in formally established settlements the buckets are emptied on a daily basis by the municipality and the content is brought to a [[sewage treatment plant]]. However, buckets are also used in newly established informal settlements. There were 250,000 bucket toilets in formally established settlements as of 2005. There was a strong political will to carry out the program. As of March 2008, 91% of the bucket toilets were replaced by [[flush toilet]]s or Ventilated Improved [[Pit latrine|Pit Latrines]] where water was not readily available.<ref>{{cite web|last=Duncan Mara|title=Bucket latrines almost eradicated in South Africa|url=https://duncanmarasanitation.blogspot.de/2008/09/bucket-latrines-almost-eradicated-in.html|access-date=16 December 2012|date=30 September 2008}}</ref>

However, communities resisted the construction of latrines, forcing construction to a standstill and asked for flush toilets. There had been no community participation in the choice of technologies. The programme was very much focused on the provision of infrastructure, with little emphasis on sustainability and hygiene promotion, so that the health impact was limited. The deadline to complete the program was moved from 2007 to 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Simphiwe Nojiyeza and Baruti Amisi|title=The Challenges of eradicating Bucket Sanitation in South Africa|url=https://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/files/Nojiyeza%20and%20Amisi%20Challenges%20of%20eradicating%20Bucket%20Sanitation%20in%20SA.pdf|access-date=16 December 2012|year=c. 2008}}</ref><ref name=SERI>{{cite web|last=Tissington|first=Kate|title=Basic Sanitation in South Africa: A Guide to Legislation, Policy and Practice|url=http://www.nwu.ac.za/webfm_send/42156|publisher=Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)|access-date=16 December 2012|pages=60–67|date=July 2011}}</ref>

In August 2005 a National Sanitation Strategy was published. It covers, among other things, "the roles and responsibilities in sanitation delivery, planning for sanitation, funding sanitation, implementation approaches, regulating the sanitation sector, and monitoring and evaluation". It was followed by a Free Basic Sanitation Implementation Strategy in March 2009, with the aim of reaching universal access to sanitation by 2014. According to one observer, the strategy was "deliberately vague" because the issue of free provision of sanitation services is so controversial. There is no legal obligation to provide free basic sanitation. The implementation strategy includes eight different options to channel subsidies. The policy was piloted in 17 municipalities in 2010, and in a further 23 municipalities in 2011, although it is unclear which subsidy mechanism is being used.<ref name=SERI/>