The lack of water in South Africa is the result of a long history of injustice – and legislation should start there

By Anthony Kaziboni

Water scarcity is a serious problem in many parts of the world. It adds to inequalities between communities and keeps historical injustices in place. One of the countries where this is an issue is South Africa. The country has a semi-arid climate, frequent droughts and relatively low average annual rainfall. But households’ experiences of water scarcity are also tied up with the country’s history.

The legacies of colonialism and apartheid means that Black communities – who make up 81.4% of South Africa’s population – still do not have the same water access as white communities.

As a sociologist who investigates the politics of water (hydropolitics), and social inequality, I’ve examined the roots of “invented” water scarcity in South Africa. Invented water scarcity refers to scarcity resulting from human actions, policies or practices – not natural factors. It comes from the way water is allocated and managed, and