While the gap between the wealthy and the impoverished continues to expand in South Africa’s Cape Town, economic injustices manifest through the unequal distribution of natural resources such as water.
Introductory Rationale
Cape Town, one of the three capitals of South Africa, is a city with numerous inhabitants from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The city comprises several social amenities that are intended to serve all its residents. However, social and economic injustices have developed over the past years since the times of apartheid. This paper’s primary rationale is to explore economic injustices through the lens of Cape Town’s current water shortage. The relevance of the current water situation in South Africa’s capital is that it has unearthed the deeply rooted social injustices and the gap between the wealthy and those living in paucity. Therefore, this paper’s key audience is the policymakers and those in the country’s ruling class who define the groups of people entitled to specific resources as it helps them identify the manner in which the poor are currently being oppressed and are suffering due to water shortage.
Supporting Claims and Evidence
South Africa is listed among one of the most unequal nations in the globe. The access to resources such as water is dependent on the magnitude of money and other resources that an individual has and is willing to provide. The water crisis in Cape Town was predictable, with several experts blaming the biting drought and the government’s failure to provide citizens with alternative resources. According to Bradford, the inequality in South Africa saw the wealthy employing the services of drilling corporations to assist them in digging boreholes while the poor wait for the relevant agencies to come up with different solutions to the problem. Moreover, Bradford (n.p.) argued that the economic injustice in the city has made the poor contemplate whether they should spare some of their resources in buying water rather than food.
The issuance and nature of Cape Town’s water management devices (WMDs) is based on poverty and rights. Consequently, the wealthy get enough water while low-income households suffer due to lack of procedural justice. Mahlanza, Ziervogel, and Scott (363) argued that the main function of the WMDs was for demand management and conservation purposes. However, environmental justice has not been observed since the adoption of the devices as the city experiences increased rights infringement, lack of household participation, and the policies’ failure to recognize the diverse needs and vulnerability of different households.
Lastly, poor governance propagates the current economic injustice in Cape Town. South Africa’s capital has been known for numerous positive reasons, among them being its ability to manage internal problems. In fact, the city was awarded a C-40 for its attempt to curb water shortage through the development of water management approaches. However, The Lancet Planetary Health (95) contended that the current water crisis and economic injustices are a result of poor government. Political differences have frustrated the attempts of various agencies to address the water shortage.
Counterargument
Cape Town’s water shortage can be blamed on willful ignorance, irresponsible development, and austerity-obsessed technocrats. According to Poplak (n.p), over-consumption of water has caused the nightmare that the city faces. Uncontrolled urban development and austerity have barred individuals from accessing water and other resources. Therefore, based on Poplak’s argument, it is manifest that the water crisis is not purely due to poor governance and economic injustice.
Conclusion
In summary, the current water crisis in South Africa’s Cape Town can only be avoided if the various policymakers devise mechanisms for dealing with economic injustices. Different laws should be developed to ensure that consumption is regulated and that the wealthy and the impoverished get equal access to water.
Works Cited
Braford, Andrew. "As Cape Town's Water Runs Out, The Rich Drill Wells. The Poor Worry About Eating". Chicagotribune.Com, 2018, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-south-africa-water-20180224-story.html. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Mahlanza, Londeka, Gina Ziervogel, and Dianne Scott.. "Water, Rights and Poverty: An Environmental Justice Approach to Analysing Water Management Devices in Cape Town". Urban Forum, vol 27, no. 4, 2016, pp. 363-382. Springer Nature, doi:10.1007/s12132-016-9296-6.
Poplak, Richard. "What's Actually Behind Cape Town's Water Crisis". The Atlantic, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/02/cape-town-water-crisis/553076/. Accessed 15 July 2018.
The Lancet Planetary Health. "Water Crisis in Cape Town: A Failure in Governance". The Lancet Planetary Health, vol 2, no. 3, 2018, p. e95. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/s2542-5196(18)30032-9.
