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On February 23rd, an appeal will be heard on a historic judgement handed down on April 30th in South Africa. On that day, the Johannesburg High Court declared prepaid water meters both illegal and unconstitutional and ordered the City of Johannesburg to provide residents with 50 litres of free water per person/per day. Meanwhile, Canada's Harper government continues to block a UN resolution that would make access to water a universal human right.
The
South African constitution adopted in 1996 states that, "Everyone has
the right to have access to sufficient food and water." The
Coalition notes, "Despite the judgement being celebrated by poor
communities across South Africa and supported by a wide range of
domestic and international unions, political parties and
non-governmental organisations, Johannesburg Mayor, Amos Masondo –
alongside Johannesburg Water and the Department of Water Affairs &
Forestry – appealed the judgement. More recently, the National Treasury
has applied to be an amicus in support of the appeal. And so, now into
its sixth year, this landmark case to secure basic constitutional
rights to water for all, heads to South Africa's Supreme Court of
Appeal." The
Harper government is also blocking a United Nations Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) resolution to make clean water a universal human
right. Unfortunately, the government of Canada is bringing shame to
our citizens by continuing to limit people from having access to
water. There have also been calls to have access to water entrenched
in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. To read more about the April 2008 court decision, go to http://southafrica.indymedia.org/news/2008/04/13123.php
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