Water use and sustainable development in South Africa

Abstract

This study is non-empirical and is based on the conceptualisations and theoretical foundations that gave rise to the global issue of sustainable development. It also traces the evolution and meaning of sustainable development in the South African socio-cultural context, and shows how the legacies of colonialism and apartheid contributed towards the national policy of sustainable development. This study explains the reasons for the presence (or lack) of sustainable development paradigms in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, as well as their implications for the future development of the country as a whole. There is also an analysis of the effects of the liberalisation of the water sector on the citizenry, and how this can disempower millions of poor South Africans. Finally, this study offers solutions for the lack of sustainable use of water in South Africa. Amongst the findings and conclusions are the deleterious effects of employment equity, cut-backs in municipal funding that resulted in the outsourcing of critical services such as water provision, and the deployment of party cadres to local councils.