Local Voices: Protesting for Water

The challenge of water security in Africa is not just a question of availability. It is an issue of accessibility, of distribution. The previous post highlighted that the legacy of colonialism is evident in the spatial organization of cities which set the stage for the uneven delivery of services. The domestic politics of water provision can exacerbate inequalities, but the affected civilians do not remain passive actors. As seen in South Africa, grievances have been expressed through public mobilization efforts. Such activist movements, using multiple tactics, including ‘spectacle, auditing, sabotage, blockage', aim at holding leaders accountable and induce domestic structural change.

source: Wallace Global Fund

In post-Apartheid South Africa, water utilities were heavily privatized, following the ‘neo-liberal economic advice of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and various western governments’. Following the signature of a five-year contract, the management of water supplies in Johannesburg was taken over by Suez, a French corporation. The commodification of water, which ‘entails highlighting its role mainly as an economic good’, resulted in water disconnections and a massive price increase. It forced poor communities to rely on unsafe water sources, exposing them to diseases such as cholera. The initiative was met with ‘active resistance’. Coalitions formed, including the Anti-Privatisation Forum (AFP) and the Coalition Against Water Privatization (CAWP), and brought together grassroots organizations and NGOs to advocate against water privatization. Their strategy included ‘educational and legal initiatives […] combined with regular mass action aimed at empowering ordinary people to assert their right to free basic services’. It also included sabotage tactics such as the destruction of prepaid meters. The rise of popular pressure was key in bringing about Suez’s departure. More recently, the numerous service delivery protests against urban inequalities or the recurrent demonstrations over water shortages clearly illustrate that local voices demand to be heard. 

Photo credit: Phill Magakoe

It is important to understand such defiance as ‘an act of self-empowerment’. Acknowledging communities’ agency and resident-led local initiatives is essential to deconstruct the culture of victimhood evident in Western mainstream perceptions. The status of ‘victim’ is often used to portray African communities, depriving them of both voice and agency. Nevertheless, as illustrated by the past and ongoing social protests in South Africa, they formulate claims around issues and organize to advocate for their rights and entitlements.