Privatisation and water governance in Africa: implications of a rights-based approach
Abstract
Early in the post-independence era, the control of water resources in many African
states was a task of central planning. Regrettably, water management soon became a
miry adventure in most African states largely because of warped planning and
implementation. This article examines the phenomenon of private sector involvement in
water resources management and seeks to understand the effect of such involvement on
the right to water in Africa in the context of the Millennium Development Goals. The
article explores the continuing relationship between African governments and non-state
actors in the management of water resources in the privatisation age. The article further
analyses the role of various national water governance initiatives vis-à-vis the efficient
management of water resources and the sharp contradictions in their frameworks from
a rights-based perspective. It evaluates the normative frameworks of access to water as
a human right in Africa and contends that the human being must be placed at the centre
of water discourses in assessing all role actors and their responsibilities. Extrapolating
from experiences from various states within and outside Africa, this article advocates a
rights-based approach to water issues and its value for the ultimate purpose of humancentred
development.