Fighting against water privatisation in South Africa
Nov 9th, 2009 by Anu
Summary
Soweto – acronym for South Western Township, (located south West of Johannesburg in Southern Africa) emerged just after 1900 as a racially segregated area re-locating an emerging black labour force for white companies, especially the gold-mining industries. Starting about 15 km away from the centre of Johannesburg, it comprises some 63 sq. km, where an estimated two million people live.Soweto was also home to anti-Apartheid political activists such as Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe. In 2003, Johannesburg Water company privatized water in Soweto and installed pre-paid meters all over the town. The installation of pre-paid meters started in Phiri, the pilot project for Operation Gcin’amanzi or Operation Save Water, a move that resulted in a series of protests by residents. They claimed that they were not consulted about the installation of the water meters, and that the water meters infringed on their rights to access to water. The sad truth is that before the introduction of the pre-paid system, residents were not getting free basic water. Jennifer Makoatsane, the lady from the video tells that they have to pay up front, recharge the card and then get the water. Citizens, those who spoke told that they cannot afford it. Jennifer, the resident of Soweto, was frustrated with that the pre paid meters were only installed in poor communities; but those who have luxury, such as big swimming pool, Jacuzzi, green lawn, they are not on a pre-paid system. Later, Jennifer was telling how her mother cannot drink water because they have to save it. Also, she was mentioning that if someone from the family is sick they cannot obtain water urgently.
In 2006, the contract was not extended due to propagandas, protests, advertisements on billboards (shown in the video) and residents started to remove the meters. November 2008 All the meters were collected by the residents even though they had to face military violence,and returned to the mayor.
That was not the end of the story, citizens of Soweto successfully brought the case up to the High Court. The pre-paid meter was declared by the High Court as “an unlawful and unconstitutional”. In addition, the High Court ordered free basic water increase to 50 litres per person per day. Also, the residents of Soweto made the case into the Constitutional Court and they are waiting for the decision of the Court.
Comment
Johannesburg Water is attempting to silence and criminalize the voices of those who are resisting its programme – Operation Gcin’amanzi/Operation Save Water – of installing pre-paid water meters in the Phiri community of SOWETO. Instead of listening to the very community it claims to be helping, Johannesburg Water has brought in the South African Police Services and the hated ‘Red Ants’ of Wozani Security (a rag-tag private security company tasked with evictions and other dirty jobs) to crack down on community opposition. It is Johannesburg Water and their Operation Gcin’amanzi who are the real criminals. The real motto of their campaign to commodify water should be – ‘No Money, No Water, No life’. The simple fact is that the privatisation of water through the installation of pre-paid water meters will mean that poor people unable to afford access will die.
ANC (African National Congress) campaign was to make citizens accessible to clean water. Now that they are in parliament and municipal councils they have forgotten about us and are working with private companies who are only interested in profit and enriching themselves. The ANC (African National Congress)government has chosen to work for the capitalists and help them make profits. Capitalism is a system that exploits the poor, the working class. It is the capitalists who pay us starvation wages, who retrench us, who employ us as casuals and who throw us out without proper pensions when we are old. The ANC is a government of capitalists. By serving the capitalist bosses the leaders of the ANC betray the working class who put them in power. It is capitalism that says give water to only those who have money to pay.
The installation of pre-paid water meters was not discussed with community residents. While I was searching for the view of Johannesburg Water Company the spokesperson, Baldwin Matsimela said:
“We are working closely with the political leadership at ward levels as well as actively engaging with all relevant stakeholders by participating in community meetings.” The first question flew into my mind was How about the citizens?
At the beginning of the video it says that WATER IS NOT A PRIVILIGE, WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT. I was wondering can their voice be heard?The end of the video warmed my heart as the citizens of Soweto took it to the High Court in 2006.
But the video did not say what happened at the Constitutional Court. I searched about it and found unpleasant news. After a lengthy legal battle between the City of Johannesburg and Soweto residents,in October 2009, the Constitutional Court has ruled that water meters installed by the City in the township are legal. As the banners, advertisement banners, writings on the walls said
HIV/AIDS+PRE-PAID = 100% DEATH – might be the case now.
Interesting fact: The Johannesburg Water was funded by Suez in Paris until 2006.
Since the Johannesburg Water is legal to contstruct pipes and build pre-paid meters, nowdays Soweto people are facing no water days due to the pipe contruction. I wonder who will benefit from this? Whether the Johannesburg Water will be building pipe lines just to deliver safe drinking water to Soweto withot any gains on their side. Probably not.
2 Responses to “Fighting against water privatisation in South Africa”
There are multiple things going on in this video – at least three are the:
protest against all privatization
protest against the pre paid taps
protest against the 25L limit per person per day (Its worth noting here that an average vancouver resident uses around 350L of water per day)
while its difficult to explain any of these complex struggles in 10 mins. its near impossible to properly address all three of them.
So although the video raised my awareness of this problem (as its likely intended to do) it doesn’t go far enough into a single issue to leave the viewer with real knowledge – Concluding that water is a human right is a useful slogan for activist and call to arms – which no doubt is necessary, but should not be and is not the only argument.
The other slogan: HIV/AIDS + PRE-PAID = 100% DEATH is an extreme statement and it is invariable true only because death is a certainty in all cases (ex. good health + lots of water = 100% Death) – the difference is between the timing and cause-effect correlation. But that aside this slogan is tempting to use because of its ability to shock, but there is some significant risk in stigmatizing the struggle.
Calls to arms such as these are not meant to be listened to or sympathized with in the same way as rational argument.
It’s possible that frustration has worn down their ability/desire to engage in rational debate – which is understandable given their ‘post’-apartheid status. But nevertheless it is necessary to have both the call to arms and the reasons behind it (which i think they do – it just isn’t communicated effectively) Even if Johnasberg water or government resource bureaucrats denied to comment for the video it would still be worth noting their refusal to comment.
Perhaps a video that followed a family for a day or what its like to would be more useful for the viewer. This doesn’t have to be long but would give a more personal account than broad statements about human rights. showing what its like to have to carry your water long distances. The sub altern can speak without speaking in this way – through images and their effective use.
This post deals touches on one of, if not the biggest threat to human rights today; the privatization of resources (water) and services (security) essential to human needs and dignity which is an issue for both ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries. South Africa, a country with such highly visible disparities between elites and marginalized and a recent colonial legacy provides a really powerful example. This video also addresses an issue that is already of major concern and is predicted by many to be a likely source of future conflict – access to drinking water.
It is very disturbing to read that poor communities are placed on prepaid restrictions while the richer ones are free to fill up their jackuzi’s. But while this highlights an appalling double standard, I know from experience that water is wasted in greater volumes in poor industry and in agriculture practices than by wasteful households.
In my hometown of Brisbane Austrlia, we have for the last decade or so been experiencing prolonged droughts that are unprecedented in recorded history and probably due to climate change. Because we were threatened by actually running out of water we went from wasteful to comparatively frugal household water users. This was due to a big council and media campaign to limit showers, bans on lawn sprinklers and hosing cars etc.
It was encouraging to see firsthand that the communities habits can be changed for the better (provided their is a nasty threat to their backyards…literally). But if you look at the figures domestic consumpition of water only accounted for under 10% of the systems water usage. More then double was used by industry, often in wasteful cleaning practices. 80% the water was used in agriculture and much of this was used in a gratuitously wasteful fashion, like in massive cotton plantations in lands far to arid for this water loving crop ( and this can be linked to colonial agricultural practices).
So it would be interesting to see where else water was being wasted in South Africa while it was being rationed so cruelly in the poorer communities.