The septic tanks of the public toilet at the central station in Kinshasa, located in the Gombe district, are full and spilling fecal matter onto the street.

One does not need to be an environmentalist to understand not only how much this situation causes discomfort to neighbors and people who travel around this infrastructure, but also how it exposes them to diseases and brings shame to the capital city, especially since Gombe is its showcase.

Similarly, these toilets are situated not far from Ngobila beach, the gateway for passengers coming from the city of Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo.

Instead of considering emptying these septic tanks, the operators in charge of managing these facilities, focused on profit-seeking, continue to serve the “seekers,” as observed by Digital Congo.cd.

These toilets are located on the 30th of June Boulevard, the most prestigious avenue in the country, at the entrance to Saint Anne's parish and the Elykia College (Saint Joseph), behind the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission (Ceni) and not far from the consular services of the United States Embassy.

It is here that conscious citizens call upon the urban authority to attend to this toilet by proceeding with the emptying of its septic tanks, which are causing desolation among its neighbors and those who use this route.

Built during the term of André Kimbuta, former governor of the city of Kinshasa and currently a senator, these public latrines have been in use for over 10 years.

There is a whole service in charge of managing them. According to information collected on site, it costs 1500 Fc for a “big need” and 500 FC for a “small need.”

But, the question arises, where does the money go that is collected from people who use these facilities?

Boni Tsala