Malawi Anti- Water Privatisation Campaign

In mid 2004, the Government of Malawi had plans to privatise the Lilongwe and Blantyre Water Boards. This was to be done through a Parliamentary Act which listed out a number of government-owned companies.

Prior to drawing up this Act, when the three public service unions affiliated to the Pubic Service International (PSI) – namely Civil Service Trade Union (CSTU), Malawi Local Government Workers Union (MAMWU) and Water

Employees Trade Union of Malawi (WETUM) heard about the intention to privatise the water boards, they launched an intensive anti- privatisation campaign.

History of water boards

The Government of Malawi is currently implementing the National Water Development Project with financial and technical assistance from the International Development Association (IDA), which is part of the World Bank. Institutional reforms the government has had to undertake include the creation of three commercially viable regional water boards which took over service delivery through the District Water Supply Fund; and the reformation of Blantyre and Lilongwe Water Boards.

Before the creation of these new water boards, the quality and the provision of water was very poor in Malawi. The government was not able to reach the rural areas, and most people there depended on water from rivers and dams. As a result, water-borne diseases such as dysentery, diarrhoea, bilharzia and others were common.

Today, the situation has improved tremendously with the creation of five water boards supplying water to all the districts within Malawi. Lilongwe Water Board provides water to Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, while the Blantyre Water Board supplies water to Blantyre city. Southern, Central and Northern Region Water Boards supply water to all the other districts.

The government together with help from non- governmental organisations have helped to drill boreholes in the rural areas. These communal water points have made water portable in rural areas. The water boards are now advocating for private sector participation in this process.

The anti-privatisation campaign

With assistance from the PSI Southern Africa office, a weeklong workshop was held in February 2004 in Blantyre. A vision of water service in Malawi and the principles that must guide an efficient and effective water service delivery were developed. The vision and principles covered economic, social, environmental, democratic and accountability issues.

The vision stated that the water sector should be economically viable in order to create jobs. The water shall be supplied at affordable rates with consideration made for the needs of people from low-income groups. The sector shall adopt an integrated approach to sustainable water utilisation in all areas that it affects such as health, the environment, industry, agriculture and many others.

The key principles on democracy and accountability of water boards were drawn up during the workshop to be as follows:

• There is need for popular participation; stakeholders signed a declaration of solidarity with the water campaign during the PSI-sponsored meeting.

Letters were also sent to all the three affiliates requesting their leadership to inform and consolidate support from all their members. Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) and COMATU were also informed.

A Press conference was held in Blantyre on March 31 2004. It was attended by representatives from MCTU; members of the PSI National Coordinating Committee (NCC); representatives from the five water boards; representatives from Civil Liberties and the Institute of Policy Interaction; journalists from Television Malawi, the Daily Times, The Enquirer, Malawi News Agency, Radio Islam and some freelance reporters.

The trade unions made three presentations during the press conference.

The NCC chairperson gave introductory remarks to the press conference stating the PSI’s involvement in the activities of unions worldwide. The second presentation outlined the studies that were undertaken to assess the options to privatise the management of the two water boards. The third one focused on the global status of the management of water utilities and factors that should be considered to achieve quality public service in water supply.

Civil society representatives made two presentations, which emphasised that parastatals belong to the people of Malawi. They also brought to light the issue of government institutions not paying their water bills, which has resulted in the water boards operating on overdrafts. The cost of these overdrafts is borne by the ordinary consumers hence the high tariffs. The civil society representatives called on government to pay up its water bills to enable the water boards to sustain their service at affordable prices.

The trade unions have a list of activities they want to undertake. These include organising a Mass Action Day; media campaigns comprising of drama, songs, panel debates and phone-in talk shows; candlelight vigils, sit-ins, public demonstrations; sending mass mail to decision makers; conducting a work go slow; and other mass campaigns that would galvanise public opinion to exert irresistible pressure on the government.

By Olivia M Kunje