Does the water mafia think we were born yesterday?
Clearly yes when it comes to the ruthless manipulation of our water supply — a human right which is being withheld on a mass scale.
Water is indeed life. People can live without food for 21 days or more but without water, life slips away by the minute and you will only live for a few days.
Our investigation into the Eastern Cape thirstlands reveals a simple and heinous truth: water to the people is being mercilessly throttled by criminals in business and the state.
The extent of the systematic orchestration of this criminality is mind-bending.
Water syndicates appear to be at work everywhere, from bullies operating tankers for money to municipalities to water reticulation networks deliberately broken, shut off or allowed to run dry — all of it dedicated to opening the sluice gates to a torrent of disgraceful money.
This extortion must be countered by people in communities, on farms, in villages, settlements, towns and cities rising up and taking back their right to water.
Yes, the president has sent in the Special Investigation Unit to dive into 17 water projects to hook out the corrupt, and yes, there are many good people in government working to get water to people.
But there is a growing impatience and distrust with the system, and the ability of the mafia in every sector to strike back and win again and again, slipping the handcuffs and between the cell bars. It can feel as if they own the system.
The people we saw and spoke to felt defenceless, unprotected by the state, rendered thirsty, weak and desperate by the profiteering predators.
There are many layers to the story, and some saintly actions, among them the Gift of the Givers and others who try to help with no expectation of unreasonable gain.
Theft of water is dangerous and deadly. It is a nasty, evil form of political economy. Let’s take on these bottom feeders.
The Human Rights Commission is working on the issue, and will provide the legal shield, but it is only the will of the people which can put an end to this madness.
Our special investigation has laid bare the bones of this system of mismanagement, destruction and lies.
We are with the people who resist these water thugs set on leeching the very life from our democracy and our bodies.
It is so brazen, so in our faces, is it any wonder people put their faith back into windmills and donkeys rather than having to be forced by the system to drink with the pigs?
Theft of water is dangerous and deadly. It is a nasty, evil form of political economy. Let’s take on these bottom feeders.
Let’s use all the people power in our constitution to get our water and our democracy back so that we can live.
DispatchLIVE
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