Sagie Narsiah

Urban Pulse—The Struggle for Water, Life, and Dignity In South African Cities: The Case of Johannesburg

The struggle for water is a key feature of life in Johannesburg, as it is in all South African cities. This article describes a court action that was brought against the City of Johannesburg by the people of one neighborhood, Phiri, in an effort to secure an adequate supply of water. It is shown how the people of Phiri argued for the removal of discriminatory technology in the form of prepayment meters and for an increase in the quantity of water. Furthermore, it will show how race, class, and geography are articulated in the post-apartheid city.

Discourses of privatisation: the case of South Africa's water sector

The neoliberal offensive incipient during the 1970s matured into a globally hegemonic discourse during the 1990s. Developing countries like South Africa have their own peculiar brand of neoliberalism. This has taken various forms in South Africa, one of which is privatisation. Its discursive origins may be traced to key thinkers and institutions. And while there is a general discourse of privatisation there also exist sub-discourses in particular sectors, such as the water services sector. This paper examines the way a general discourse of privatisation evolved in South Africa and how this discourse has filtered into water services delivery. It argues that key role players and institutions acted as disseminators of a discourse of privatisation in the water services sector.

The Neoliberalization of the Water and Energy Sectors in South Africa and India

South Africa and India are viewed as incipient economic powerhouses of the developing world – South Africa is the biggest economy on the African continent and India a rising star in the global economy. Both countries have adopted neoliberal policies. The forms in which neoliberalism has unfolded, however, have been contingent upon the countries’ and utility sector’s historical-geographical context. In this paper we attempt to provide a comparative perspective demonstrating similar processes of neoliberalism in South Africa and India. We examine the contradictory nature of neoliberalism with respect to particular sections of the population – the poor in particular. A broadly political-economy approach is adopted. The paper reveals that there is particular state-market logic driving the delivery of basic services such as water and energy. It is this logic which has undermined the states’ attempts at providing basic services to the poor in particular.

The Poor and Differential Access to Water in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Large numbers of people, especially in the poor urban areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, have experienced problems of access to reliable and adequate potable water. This paper focuses on issues of equity, particularly access to safe and clean water in the poor areas of Addis Ababa. This paper is based on the results of a survey conducted in Addis Ababa in 2010. The key objective of the study was to assess access to water of the poor. The study covered water use; consumption patterns; availability and reliability of water; gender; income; monthly water expenditure and time taken to fetch water from existing sources. The results indicated that more than 60 % of the sample households use more than 20 l per person per day. Most households pay a relatively high price for drinking water. In the main poor households rely on water vendors for their water. We argue that the poor in Addis Ababa have differential access to water which is inherently discriminatory.

Public Participation in Selected Civilizations: Problems and Potentials

Abstract Public participation is not a recent phenomenon. It has spanned centuries, cultures and civilizations. The aim of this paper is to present a historical overview of public participation in some selected civilizations across the globe. The conceptual basis of the paper is premised on participatory democracy. It will adopt an analytical and historical approach. Scholars have recognized that public participation remains a relevant concept globally. The concept is not unproblematic, but there is enormous potential for substantive democratization of the public sphere. Hence, one of the key recommendations of the paper is that the potentials of public participation have to be fully explored and exploited.

The Irony of Democracy in Nigeria

Abstract Democracy as a form of government means different things to different people depending on their location, situation, and circumstances. Democracy, which in the popular imaginary is a government by the people, is sustained through inclusivity and broad participation. Furthermore, it comes with many benefits - good governance, rule of law, political stability, and economic advancement. These democratic benefits are absent in Nigeria. Democracy in Nigeria has been reduced to a mere periodic ritual of elections, without any credence to the credibility, fairness, freeness and popular will of the people. The aim of this paper is to look at the challenges to democracy in Nigeria. One of the suggestions of this paper is that the will of the people must prevail. At present the will of the people is subordinate to that of the elites.

Challenges to Public Participation in Political Processes in Nigeria

Abstract The constant violence associated with public participation in Nigeria can be attributed to processes of state formation. The colonial state played a significant role in the process of ethnic identity formation. Consequently, the present Nigerian- state is inherently a crisis prone and a violence generating mechanism. This militates against substantive public participation.The main objective of this paper is to examine the challenges to public participation in Nigeria. One of the suggestions of this paper is that conscious and concerted efforts must be made by the government in the form of an implementable policy framework to eliminate or reduce to the barest minimum the hindrances to political processes in Nigeria.

The Impact of Differences in Perception of At-risk Students between Staff and Students of the Academic Monitoring and Support Program (AMSP) in the Humanities

Abstract Evaluating the pilot phase of the Academic Monitoring and Support Program (AMSP) in the College of Humanities, Pietermaritzburg campus at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, has revealed that the differences in the lecturers’ and students’ perception of “At-risk” students adversely affected successful program implementation. The program strategies have been reformed with the theme: “Stay on the Green, Reach your Dream!” Data was gathered through 16 semi-structured interviews, eight from staff and eight from students, during the abovementioned evaluation to illustrate the impact of the differences in perception of at-risk students among staff and students, and its consequences on the intervention. The study illustrates how such lack of coherence between perceptions can be a challenge to the Program’s success.

The Politics of Participatory Budgeting in Nigeria: A Case Study of Community Development Associations (CDAs)

Abstract This paper sets out to look at the relationship between Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Participatory Budgeting (PB) in Nigeria, with a view to highlight the missing links between the two paradigms and identifying the reasons for the non-effectiveness of participatory budgeting in the country. The paper therefore submits that community development and participatory budgeting despite all the challenges remain relevant in our contemporary sociopolitical context. This is in view of the importance that it has been accorded by over forty democratic governments and over one thousand five hundred cities around the world. This is mainly a qualitative paper hence no primary data will be used. Among the key recommendations, it is suggested that the Federal Government of Nigeria provide fiscal and institutional support for CDAs in particular.

Participatory Budgeting in Nigeria: An Anthropology

Abstract Following the success of participatory budgeting in Latin America, it has become a popular tool for promoting fundamental principles of qualitative urban governance. In Brazil, participatory budgeting was implemented at national, regional, and local level. The participatory budgeting mechanism is meant to deliver products that can achieve the ultimate goal of building inclusive cities. But, in concept and practice, participatory budgeting as it is, cannot fit into a single model because the practice represents a range of initiatives with their own peculiar characteristics which is constantly evolving and changing. It is in view of this that the paper aims to examine the concept of participatory budgeting, within the context of urban governance in Nigeria.