The Commodification of Water in South Africa

Abstract

The overarching objective of this research project is to answer the question: Why aren't some residents in Westcliff receiving the free basic water that the municipality is mandated to provide to them? In trying to address this question, it was necessary to study: a) the municipality's water policies and their justifications. Using Westcliff for the case studies, the project fulfilled the following objectives: 1) an examination was done on the way Durban Metro Water policies were being implemented 2) the socio-economic realities on the ground were examined and compared to the assumptions made by Durban Metro Water Services 3) an assessment of success or failure of Durban Metro Water policies was made in their attempt to provide a sufficient amount of clean water to residents 4) The response of community to water cut-offs and the subsequent resistance movement in Chatsworth was analyzed 5) Lastly, the subsequent formulation of policy recommendations were made.