Disabled Man’s Bucket Urinal System Keeps Joburg Streets Clean

Khumalo charges people R2 to use his buckets, but he says he accepts whatever people can afford.

Thabo Khumalo, who is homeless and disabled, makes about R70 a day in Johannesburg from hiring out buckets for people to use instead of urinating on the street.

“This area used to smell terrible because people urinated and dumped waste everywhere,” says Khumalo. He says he cleans up trash and the provision of containers has decreased public urination on De Villiers and Quartz streets.

Khumalo came to Johannesburg from Ladysmith in 1998 to finish school. He lived with his uncle in Meadowlands, Soweto. But his uncle died in 2014 and he had to move out. When he lost his job a few months later, he could no longer pay rent and he was forced to live on the streets.

He started charging people a small fee to move their goods using a shopping trolley, and used the money to buy food and clothes. “Sometimes I also collected and sold recyclable waste,” he said.

But in September 2023, he was shot in the leg by a security guard while collecting copper cables to sell. Since then, he has struggled to walk long distances or carry heavy loads, so he has focused on keeping his immediate surroundings clean.

The area where Khumalo and other homeless people sleep is frequented by commuters catching taxis.

“I placed these buckets, and taxi drivers supported the idea because it made their work environment cleaner. Passengers also appreciated it,” Khumalo said.

He disposes of the urine by pouring it into street drains.

Khumalo says illegal dumping is still a problem, despite his efforts.

Khumalo has also built a good relationship with City of Johannesburg’s waste collection workers, who give him plastic bags for waste collection. “When the garbage truck arrives, we make sure all the waste is ready for collection,” he said.

But some residents continue to dump waste illegally. “As soon as Pikitup collects the trash, there’s already another pile thrown from the upstairs flats,” Khumalo said.

Khumalo also faces resistance from some people who refuse to pay for using his buckets. “Some even pull out guns, but most people understand why they should support me. They know urine smells bad,” he said. He accepts whatever people can give.

The area is surrounded by taverns and nightclubs, and many public toilets charge a fee. The taxi rank and Shell garage bathrooms cost R3 to use and there are often long queues. A taxi driver told GroundUp that the R3 fee at the taxi rank goes toward cleaning and electricity. The bathrooms we saw were clean and had flushing toilets.

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