Privatizing collective public goods: A case study of street cleaning in Johannesburg, South Africa

Studies in Political Economy

Volumn , Issue 79, 2007, Pages 119-143

  Samson, Melanie ^a  

^a YORK UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 34249938744     PISSN: 07078552     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/19187033.2007.11675094     Document Type: Article

References (87)

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10. Ibid.
11. G. Ruiters, "Commodified Water, Race and Social Justice in South Africa: A Study of Three Privatization Experiences in Post-Apartheid South African Municipalities, 1990-2000." Dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Baltimore, 2002), p. 322.
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15. Fudge and Cossman, "Introduction," p. 22.
16. As discussed in the following section, the apartheid city was racially segregated. Although racial segregation is no longer legally enforced, due to the deeply racialized construction of class in South Africans, racial segregation persists in the current era. While a privileged minority of wealthy Africans, Indians, and coloureds have moved into formerly white areas, these wealthy suburbs are still predominantly white and the townships retain virtually the same demographic profile as in the apartheid era.
17. M. Swilling, "Introduction," in M. Swilling, R. Humphries and K. Shubane, (ed.), Apartheid City in Transition (Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. ix.
18. Ibid., p. xvii.
19. M. Swilling, W. Cobbett, and R. Hunter, "Finance, Electricity Costs and the Rent Boycott," in M. Swilling, R. Humphries, and K. Shubane, (eds.), Apartheid City in Transition (Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1991), p. 176.
20. Central Statistics, Women and Men in South Africa (Pretoria: Central Statistics, 1998), p. 14.
21. M. Chaskalson, K. Jochelson, and J. Seekings, "Rent Boycotts and the Urban Political Economy," in G. Moss and I. Obery, (eds.), South African Review 4 (Johannesburg: Ravan Press, 1987);
22. K. Shubane, "Black Local Authorities: A Contraption of Control," in M. Swilling, R. Humphries, and K. Shubane, (eds.), Apartheid City in Transition (Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 1991);
23. R. Tomlinson, R. A. Beauregard, L. Bremmer, and X. Mangcu, (eds.), Emerging Johannesburg: Perspectives on the Postapartheid City (London: Routledge, 2003).
24. City of Johannesburg Council, Johannesburg: An African City in Change (Cape Town: Zebra Press, 2001), p. 5.
25. Ibid., pp. 10-20.
26. For further discussion of the process to develop and implement iGoli 2002, see M. Samson, "Gender Transformative Developmental Local Government? Reinventing the post-Apartheid State within the Context of Neo-Liberalism." Paper presented at CODESRIA 11th General Assembly, Maputo, Mozambique (6-10 December 2005);
27. City of Johannesburg Council, Johannesburg, J. Beall, O. Crankshaw, and S. Parnell, Uniting a Divided City: Governance and Social Exclusion in Johannesburg (London: Earthscan, 2002).
28. Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council, iGoli 2002: Making the City Work - It Cannot Be Business As Usual (Johannesburg: Metropolitan Corporate Services, 1998), p. 6.
29. F. Barchiesi, "Fiscal Discipline and Worker Response: The Restructuring of Johannesburg's Solid Waste Management," Municipal Services Project (Kingston, Ontario: Queen's University, 2001).
30. GJMC, iGoli, p. 20.
31. .
32. Commercial waste management services, such as the disposal of medical waste and collection of bulk waste, are not the responsibility of local government and so are open to competition with the private sector.
33. Even charging individual households for removal and disposal services is more complex than charging for water and electricity. While metering makes it possible to charge consumers per unit of water and electricity consumed, it is impractical to charge households per kilogram of waste produced, collected, and disposed of. As a result, Pikitup's tariffs are based on property size as opposed to volumes of waste produced. In addition, due to the health hazards associated with the noncollection of waste, it is not possible for Pikitup to stop collecting waste from households that are in arrears. From a cost-recovery perspective, this increases the importance of minimizing the costs of providing collection services in areas with high default rates (R. de Beer, "The waste management challenge for the city of Johannesburg," unpublished document produced for Pikitup, undated).
34. Pikitup, Pikitup Johannesburg Business Plan, Financial Year 2002/2003, unpublished (2002).
35. Pikitup, A Load of Rubbish (Johannesburg: Pikitup, undated).
36. In terms of the Agreement of Sale, Pikitup was precluded from retrenching any workers for the first three years, but maintained a hiring freeze implemented by the GJMC. Excessively high rates of natural attrition, widely attributed to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, resulted in significant workforce shortages. In order to maintain the level of provision of revenue-generating activities, Pikitup transferred men from the street cleaning section to collection. As a result, the street cleaning workforce was depleted.
37. C. Leys, Market-Driven Politics: Neoliberal Democracy and the Public Interest (London: Verso, 2001), p. 87.
38. Ibid., p. 84.
39. J. Pape and D. McDonald, "Introduction," in D. McDonald and J. Pape, (eds.), Cost Recovery and the Crisis of Service Delivery in South Africa (Cape Town: HSRC, 2002);
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41. G. Ruiters, "Commodified Water."
42. South Africa, Gauteng Provincial Government, Gauteng City Improvement District Act Number 12 of 1997 (Johannesburg, 1997).
43. Ibid.
44. H. Peens, Manager, Kagiso Urban Management, telephonic interview (20 May 2004).
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46. B. Thobejane, Director of the Office of the City Manager of Johannesburg, Johannesburg (30 September 2003).
47. Ibid.
48. Ruiters, "Commodified Water," p. 121.
49. Pape and McDonald, "Introduction," pp. 1-2;
50. G. Hart, Disabling Globalization: Places of Power in Post-Apartheid South Africa (Pietermarizburg: University of Natal Press, 2002), p. 246.
51. Pape and McDonald, "Introduction," p. 2.
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53. South African Cities Network 2004. State of the Cities Report 2004 (Johannesburg: South African Cities Network, 2004), p. 91.
54. D. McDonald, "The Theory and Practice of Cost Recovery in South Africa," in D. McDonald and J. Pape, (eds.), Cost Recovery and the Crisis of Service Delivery in South Africa (Cape Town: HSRC, 2002), p. 28.
55. P. Evans, "Government Action."
56. ANC NEC, "Statement of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress on the Occasion of Year 90 of the ANC" (8 January 2002).
57. NEDLAC, Growth and Development Summit Agreement (Johannesburg: Nedlac, 7 June 2003).
58. Miraftab, "Neoliberalism and Casualisation";
59. Samson, Dumping on Women.
60. L. Venter, General Manager, Environmental Management, Pikitup (Johannesburg: 11 February 2003).
61. C. Venter, Acting Operations Director, Pikitup (Johannesburg: 5 November 2002).
62. L. Venter, General Manager, Environmental Management, Pikitup (Johannesburg: 11 February 2003).
63. Pikitup, "Community Participation and Education Model: Pikitup Eco-munity Programme," unpublished, undated, p. 1.
64. L. Venter, "Project 'The Dragonfly': Establishment of 'Eco-munities,' A Strategic Environmental Approach," unpublished draft discussion document for Pikitup (2002), p. 14.
65. L. Venter, General Manager, Environmental Management, Pikitup (Johannesburg: 11 February 2003).
66. C. Mthombeni, Zivuseni Progress Report, March 2003, unpublished, pp. 1-3.
67. Ibid., Annexure A.
68. L. Musane, Zivuseni Waste Management Cluster Manager (Johannesburg: 23 July 2003).
69. A. Mkhubeni, Regional Manager, Zondi Depot, Pikitup, (Johannesburg: 17 June 2003);
70. L. Musane, Zivuseni Waste Management Cluster Manager (Johannesburg: 23 July 2003).
71. J. Poggenpoel, Gauteng Project Manager, Tedcor (Johannesburg: 23 January 2003).
72. M. Letsela, Operations Supervisor, Norwood Depot, Pikitup (Johannesburg: 15 October 2002).
73. Republic of South Africa, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, Ministerial Determination No. 3: Special Public Works Programmes. Government Gazette (25 January 2002), No. 23045, No. R63 (Pretoria: 2002).
74. Republic of South Africa, Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1997, Code of Good Practice for Employment and Conditions of Work for Special Public Works Programmes, Government Gazette (25 January 2002), 23045, No. R64 (Pretoria, 2002).
75. Focus Group, Men on Zivuseni Project (Johannesburg: 6 November 2002).
76. Miraftab, "Neoliberalism and Casualisation";
77. Samson, Dumping on Women.
78. IMATU Selby Shopstewards (Johannesburg: 29 January 2003).
79. J. Palesa, Owner, Gauteng Cleaners, Johannesburg (30 November 2002).
80. Mthobeni, Zivuseni Progress Report, p. 3.
81. Focus Group, Women on Zivuseni Project (Johannesburg: 6 November 2002).
82. Mthobeni, Zivuseni Progress Report, p. 3.
83. Miraftab, "Neoliberalism and Casualisation";
84. Samson, Dumping on Women.
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86. S. Godfrey and M. Clarke, "The Basic Conditions of Employment Act Amendments: More Questions than Answers," Law, Democracy and Development 6/1 (2002), pp. 1-26.
87. Ruiters, "Commodified Water," p. 78.