Beyond the Neoliberal Watershed. Johannesburg Water: a Case of Breakdown?

The essay explores the impact of neoliberal reforms on water and sanitation throughout the case of Johannesburg Water, the publicly-owned water provider of Johannesburg. The company underwent republicisation after a management contract with Suez Group. The research is examining whether the new configuration of water provision, which emerged from the retreat of private sector, constitutes a discontinuity in the neoliberalisation of the public utility. The results are contributing to the academic debate on the alternatives to neoliberalism by relating the key issue of the socially equitable provision of water services to the three analytical dimensions of affordability of service, financial sustainability and socio-economic inclusion.