Thomson Reuters Foundation:
Siphesihle was six years old when a friend went out to the toilet - and was never seen again (Photos: Paola Totaro)
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
Today, her township is home to 20,000 people who share just 380 communal toilets
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
Khayelitsha has existed since the 1980s but access to sanitation is still limited
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
According to a 2012 inquiry, 12,000 households across the slum have no access to toilets
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
The slum is made up of semi-permanent structures - some shacks even boast satellite TV dishes
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
NGOs say the slum is here to stay - so inadequate temporary toilets must be replaced
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
"The city still relies on offering undignified, inferior, temporary toilets... as long term solutions," say activists
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
Cape Town's cash-strapped authorities are struggling to keep up with santitation needs of a burgeoning population
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
But research conducted by Yale University said improving access to toilets could save money for municipalities
Thomson Reuters Foundation:
The increased costs of providing toilets are outweighed by the savings made from reduced crime, it said