Social movements in South African urban water governance: a review

Abstract

The implementation of the urban water policy encounters some discrepancies, including the lack of coordination between the government and communities. The process of urban water governance in South Africa is largely marked by poor coordination between the local government and other stakeholders, such as social movements. The government's failure to provide adequate water services to the communities has triggered the resurgence of social movements in urban water governance. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of social movements in South African urban water governance. This exploration spanned from a global perspective to the specific context of urban water governance in South Africa. The paper used qualitative secondary analysis and the Just City Theory to explore the role of social movements in the process of urban water governance in South Africa. The paper has reviewed extant literature on urban water governance and social movements. Based on the Just City Theory, the findings suggest that the rise of social movements in water governance has contributed to urban social change characterised by the increasing provision of water services to the predominantly urban low-income population in South Africa. This shift in urban dynamics stems from the influence of social movements as power is reconfigured and urban poor actively participate in water affairs. The paper suggests the need for effective coordination between social movements and municipalities in the postapartheid South African urban water governance.