News / National
Bulawayo residents urged to reject water privatisation
14 hrs ago | Views
The Matabeleland Institute for Human Rights (MIHR) has called on Bulawayo residents to oppose government plans to privatise water services in the city. The move has raised concerns among critics who fear that it could lead to higher water costs and the erosion of public access to essential services.
Recently, the government revealed it would enter negotiations with private companies, while the Bulawayo City Council has expressed intentions to create a new company to manage the city's water services. Reports suggest that the council has engaged Vitens Evides International, a Dutch water utility, to oversee the city's water and sanitation services.
However, MIHR director Khumbulani Maphosa has strongly criticised the move, arguing that privatisation would compromise the right to water, turning it into a commodity driven by profit. "Privatisation is pushing for profit, and it makes water a commodity," Maphosa said. "It destroys people's rights to water."
He also warned that privatising water services could have devastating public health implications. "People just recovered from a cholera outbreak, and privatisation will lead to open defecation and people resorting to unsafe water sources due to unaffordable water prices," he added.
Maphosa raised additional concerns about the potential negative impact on women and girls, who he said could become more vulnerable to abuse. "Our women and girls will be exposed to abuse," he warned, citing the existence of water mafias or cartels in other cities like Harare, which illegally control access to water. "Since women typically use more water than others, they will be at risk of exploitation by sexual predators."
The MIHR's opposition echoes a wider backlash faced by the government after it announced plans to privatise water services in urban areas, including a controversial deal with a Chinese company to build a new water treatment reservoir for Harare. Residents of urban areas have criticised the decision, warning that it would lead to higher tariffs, putting access to clean, potable water out of reach for many low-income households.
As negotiations continue, the MIHR is urging Bulawayo residents to stand firm against privatisation and to demand that water remain a public service for the benefit of all citizens.
Recently, the government revealed it would enter negotiations with private companies, while the Bulawayo City Council has expressed intentions to create a new company to manage the city's water services. Reports suggest that the council has engaged Vitens Evides International, a Dutch water utility, to oversee the city's water and sanitation services.
However, MIHR director Khumbulani Maphosa has strongly criticised the move, arguing that privatisation would compromise the right to water, turning it into a commodity driven by profit. "Privatisation is pushing for profit, and it makes water a commodity," Maphosa said. "It destroys people's rights to water."
Maphosa raised additional concerns about the potential negative impact on women and girls, who he said could become more vulnerable to abuse. "Our women and girls will be exposed to abuse," he warned, citing the existence of water mafias or cartels in other cities like Harare, which illegally control access to water. "Since women typically use more water than others, they will be at risk of exploitation by sexual predators."
The MIHR's opposition echoes a wider backlash faced by the government after it announced plans to privatise water services in urban areas, including a controversial deal with a Chinese company to build a new water treatment reservoir for Harare. Residents of urban areas have criticised the decision, warning that it would lead to higher tariffs, putting access to clean, potable water out of reach for many low-income households.
As negotiations continue, the MIHR is urging Bulawayo residents to stand firm against privatisation and to demand that water remain a public service for the benefit of all citizens.
Source - southern eye
