We Demand Free Clean Water For All Poor Residents

southern africa | community struggles | non-anarchist press Wednesday November 12, 2008 23:06 by Coalition Against Water Privatisation - CAWP

Hundreds to march tomorrow to Johannesburg Mayor, Amos Masondo’s, Office

Tomorrow, Tuesday 11th November 2008, hundreds of residents of poor communities around Gauteng will be marching to the City of Johannesburg Mayoral office in Braamfontein to protest against the City of Johannesburg issuing of summons and fines (R1500.00) for “tampering/removing” pre-paid water meters in their yards that were forcefully installed by Johannesburg Water since 2003. Residents will gather at Beyers Naude Library Gardens at 09h00 in the morning and the march will commence at 10h00 to Mayor Masondo Office.

On the 30th of April 2008, the Johannesburg High Court declared prepaid water meters both illegal and unconstitutional and further ordered the City of Johannesburg to provide each person with 50 liters of free water a day. The City of Johannesburg Mayor and Johannesburg Water appealed against the ruling, (09 September 2008) utilising poor resident’s money to fight the very same people who want access to clean adequate safe water. Since then, the City has been threatening Soweto residents with summons and fines for tampering with the meters (designated as “city property”) despite the fact that the case is still pending on appeal. Many of the residents who will be in the march will be taking back their summonses to Amos Masondo.

Residents are opposing pre-paid water meters because they effectively privatize water consumption without wholesale privatization of the water provider. The meters pervert demand management and deny poor residents their procedural protections and consumer safeguards. Additionally, the meters exacerbate water emergencies and undermine public health as well as make water more expensive for the poor and lead to conflicts in our communities/families.

Mayor Masondo and the City of Johannesburg must immediately stop the continued victimization of poor residents who are simply reclaiming their right to adequate and affordable water supply and acting in the spirit of the High Court ruling declaring pre-paid water meters to be illegal and unconstitutional.