The City of Cape Town wants to outsource a very expensive very risky new water project to turn sewerage water into drinking water, called the Faure New Water Scheme. Under Section 78 of the Municipal Systems Act, they are obliged to get buy in via “consultation platforms.”
Their main question to the public is: what do you think of “external mechanisms” ie outside companies (in this case Private or Public-Private partnerships), or do we insist on what they are calling “in house” ie keeping our water in public hands.
They note in their call for comment that the Constitution requires the municipality to provide certain services and that the City of Cape Town is the designated water service providers, owning and operating all of our drinking water supply system. They say “but the nature of the Faure New Water Scheme means it might be more feasible to contract an external company to provide these services for this project,” and they point out that the City already uses external companies to support other series like solid waste management and public transport.
We say, no to water privatisation. This has been a disaster everywhere in the world. It makes water more expensive, and it takes accountability, especially needed in risky new projects involving turning sewerage into tap water.
We are putting more info together, but please spread the work and….
Please take 5 minutes to reject this proposal on the Comments Form below.
Link and City’s Proposal: “The City is assessing the feasibility of providing the Faure New Water Scheme through an external mechanism, and we want to hear from you.”
Submit your comments from 17 March – 17 April 2025.
Comment form:
https://web1.capetown.gov.za/web1/websitefeedback/?id=b254ff9a-9cfc-44f3-bce9-fb90c75f9633
We would like to document all of the responses so that the City cannot say they were not received! Please share screen shots with us at: africanwatercommonscollective@gmail.com