Although the right to water is enshrined in our Constitution, many South Africans live every day without access to the water they need for basic survival—for drinking, washing, eating, health, religion, and more. The African Water Commons Collective (AWCC) has been working with communities across the Cape Flats and Witzenberg for over a decade to fight for our human right to water. We came together to stop the implementation of the dreaded Water Management Devices, which we call Weapons of Mass Destruction, because they restrict households which cannot afford to pay for water. We see first-hand the everyday struggles of ordinary working-class people, especially women, not being able to access sufficient water, facing high water bills and the constant harassment to pay, the deduction of water arrears from our electricity purchases, water cut offs, the drip system, and the dreaded water meters that restrict access. We see how many households go for days without water. As a result, people are sick, thirsty, young girls cannot attend school, and patients with chronic conditions are not able to take their medication, all because of a lack of no access to water.
In Cape Town, over half of the water consumed is used by 13% of the population. So, this water crisis we see every day, is only a crisis for the working class who live it daily. Yet the City of Cape Town is presently proposing a new plan for implementing and operating the Faure New Water Scheme through what they call “an external service delivery mechanism.” We know this is an attempt to privatise the city’s water, which, as we have seen all over the world, increases the cost of water. Many people do not know about this new plan, which highlights the flaws in the city’s participation processes—these processes are not advertised on platforms for working-class people to access in our so-called “inclusive city.”
As the African Water Commons Collective we reject the Faure Scheme’s proposed privatisation. We don’t have money to buy water. We know that the working class uses water for basic needs, and we are going to fight for water justice.
We call for WATER FOR LIFE!
We are not going to accept these attempts to privatise water for profit. Our aim is to build working-class capacity and organise in every community for a militant campaign for water to remain a commons, for water to be in the hands of the people. This is the meaning of World Water Day.
Please join us!
africanwatercommonscollective@gmail.com
Makhaza – Ntombikayise @ 078 725 6779
Nyanga – Lilo @ 083 429 8374
Chatsworth – Ebrahiem @ 063 700 9718
Witzenberg – Naomi @ 073 528 6090