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dam-l Water privatization, SAfrica/LS
>Return-Path: <owner-irn-safrica@igc.org>
>Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 15:14:17 +0100
>From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
>Sender: owner-irn-safrica@igc.org
>Subject: Water privatization, SAfrica/LS
>To: irn-safrica@igc.apc.org
>X-Sender: lori@pop.igc.apc.org
>
>
>>
>>>Press Statement Thursday 6th August 10am
>>>
>>>COSATU Regional strike planned for August 19th against privatisation!
>>>
>>>Conciliation in the Mpumalanga Division of the Local Government Bargaining
>>>Council last night failed to resolve the dispute lodged by the South
>>>African Municipal Workers Union against the Nelspruit Transitional Local
>>>Council. The union lodged the dispute against the municipality over its
>>>intentions to privatise the water on a 30 year contract to British
>>>multinational, Biwater.
>>>
>>>COSATU is deeply concerned about Nelspruit TLC's determination to
>>privatise
>>>the water, despite an existing agreement in the Local Government National
>>>Bargaining Council that the public sector is the preferred deliverer of
>>>services. There had also been agreement within Mpumalanga's alliance
>>>structures that the privatisation should not go ahead - this has been
>>>undermined by the TLC. The federation will be now considering all options
>>>to put an end to the privatisation for once and for all.
>>>
>>>In accordance with COSATU Central Committee resolutions that water should
>>>not be privatised, the province has designated August as a month of action
>>>against privatisation in Mpumalanga. Masakhane cleanups, picketing and
>>>community meetings will culminate in a general strike on August 19th,
>>1998.
>>>About 100 000 workers are expected to strike, bringing the province to a
>>>complete standstill.
>>>
>>>In the first test case of the new Water Services Act, SAMWU is claiming
>>>that the privatisation contravenes clause 19 (2) of Chapter Three. The
>>>clause states that "a water services authority may only enter into a
>>>contract with a private sector water services provider after it has
>>>considered all known public sector water services providers which are
>>>willing and able to perform the relevant functions."
>>>
>>>A recent article in the Business Report newspaper revealed that Nelspruit
>>>TLC has made no effort to redistribute existing resources and services
>>>since the days of apartheid. The newspaper revealed that only 17 water
>>>workers service the "township" areas of Nelspruit which has a population
>>of
>>>around 100 000 people, while 125 workers are used to deliver water to less
>>>than 25 000 people living in advantaged areas of the town.
>>>
>>>COSATU will be using the general strike on August 19th to implement an
>>>"emergency plan" for water delivery, that will include the redeployment of
>>>workers and equipment into Nelspruit's township areas as an urgent means
>>of
>>>providing water for those with no access.
>>>
>>>Resistance to the privatisation initiative is also mounting overseas.
>>>Public Services International, the federation of over 20 million public
>>>sector workers worldwide, has been corresponding with Minister of Water
>>>Affairs and Forestry, Kader Asmal on the issue for some time. The
>>>federation received an undertaking from the Minister that any
>>privatisation
>>>that is not in line with existing water legislation will be ruled invalid.
>>>
>>>In a recent interview with British magazine Utility Week, Biwater Chairman
>>>Adrian White admitted that water contracts "are not good for the client.
>>>They are, however, superb for the contractor. The contractor gets four
>>>sources of profit: construction, financial engineering, equity dividend
>>and
>>>management contract."
>>>
>>>For comment, please call the COSATU Mpumalanga Regional Secretary, Norman
>>>Mokoena on 0135 6560289/90
>>>or SAMWU Provincial Secretary, Pogisho Pasha, on 082 975 4588.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>--------------------
>>e-mail jwg.eo@glo.be
>>fax *32-(0)3-2184051
>>--------------------
>>
>
>::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
> and Editor, World Rivers Review
> International Rivers Network
> 1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
> Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
> http://www.irn.org
>::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
>
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