Equality of access to sanitation in South Africa

Abstract

Equality, fairness and justice are values embedded in almost all the policies developed since 1994 and this is understandable given the inequalities that were institutionalized and entrenched by the apartheid regime. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) explicitly advanced a social development agenda by setting targets for the provision of water, sanitation and electricity. The specific sectoral policies on water, sanitation and energy went further to contextualize the principles and values that inform the provision of these services in post-apartheid South Africa. So far a lot has been achieved in ensuring equality of access to these services but inequalities persist in terms of regions, race and income. Using SASAS data (2005-2009) this paper examines equality of access to sanitation across 'race' and region. This paper argues that there is a disjuncture between the free basic sanitation policy and implementation. The contribution of this paper lies in its analysis of access issues in from the dimensions of geography and 'race'. The paper recommends that greater targeting and more innovative strategies are required to ensure that the most vulnerable groups have access to sanitation as it plays an important role in enhancing their quality of life and impact on their contribution on local economic development.