Protesters, led by the Coalition Against Water Privatisation, handed a memorandum of demands to officials at Johannesburg Water offices and the Johannesburg City Council on Tuesday.
In the four-page memo they stated reasons for opposing the introduction of pre-paid water meters in Soweto.
The coalition, with the support of the Freedom of Expression Institution and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, have filed a legal case against Johannesburg Water, the City of Johannesburg and the Department of Water Affairs for ”denying” access to water.
Tuesday’s protest began at the Library Gardens and proceeded to Johannesburg Water, where staff had locked themselves in and police blocked the door.
A black official from the company came out after a while, but they refused to speak to her because ”she’s working for people who are oppressing women”, said protest coordinator Virginia Magwaza Setshedi.
The protesters demanded to speak to a white person.
A white man and an Indian man came out, and protesters then allowed the black woman to sign for receipt of the memorandum.
The protesters then walked from central Johannesburg to the metro centre in Braamfontein to deliver the memorandum to the city council.
When they arrived they demanded to see mayor Amos Masondo but police refused them entry. Council officials accepted the memorandum instead. — Sapa