Understanding protest as a form of popular participation in water governance : the case of Madibeng Municipality, North West

M.A. (Development Studies)Abstract: Natural freshwater is a precious resource, without which there is no human life. However, much of the literature on water indicates a tendency of people to overexploit this resource arguing that they exacerbate its likelihood of scarcity in the nearer future. Post 1994, the government has sought ways to manage water properly thus passing new laws and policies in this regard. Of significant importance is the Bill of Rights which was established in 1994 and calls for the protection of human rights, including water, stressing that every South African citizen has the right to access water. Ideally, every household is entitled to 6 kilolitres of water a month. However, the scenario is different for villages that fall within Madibeng Municipality in the Northwest Province, particularly Mothutlung, where four people died in 2014 while fighting for their right to access clean drinking water. This research explores the historical processes in which Mothutlung residents engaged their municipality, and how some of the failed engagements led to service delivery protests by the residents. Mothutlung is a small township located at Brits, in the North West Province. Understanding the history of this township is fundamental in highlighting the implications of apartheid in Mothutlung, thus illustrating how the present situation is a reflection of the apartheid era. In essence, investigation into the history of Mothutlung is vital for understanding the present inconsistencies in service delivery between the various townships falling within the municipality and how they were shaped by the previous oppressive system. Understanding the history of the township also aids in tracing and understanding how and when protests were enacted. Using qualitative research methods, a total of eighteen participants were interviewed, including a municipal official, the councillor and Mothutlung residents. The research discovered that, although the major protest over water occurred in January 2014, the issue began in 2010 when residents had to make means to fetch water at their local mine and in areas as far as Ga-Rankuwa which is 15 kilometres away from Mothutlung. Residents stated that the protest was mainly triggered by corruption within their municipality as they learnt that municipal officials benefited from the tankering system they introduced as a temporary measure to deliver water to the community. Another important finding is that the main problem facing the community currently is that people..