by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
Friday, March 4, 2005
"Why didn't you mention that Suez is run by the Montreal-based Power Corporation through Pargesa--Saddam's and the Ba'ath Party investment bank in Geneva, when you wrote about thirsty children in the shantytown of alexandra, africa?" colleague David Hawkins wanted to know after reading last week's Canada Free Press cover story, Johannesburg then and now.
Hawkins, Foundation Scholar-Cambridge University and founder of the Citizens association of Forensic Economists at Hawk's CaFÉ, misses nothing when it comes to forensic research.
Johannesburg then and now recounted the tragedy of the desperate youngsters from nearby shantytowns who lined up for water at standpipes as United Nations Earth Summit delegates converged on Johannesburg in late august 2002, and how for them, H20 is still in scarce supply more than two years after the lauded summit.
The hypocrisy of the tens of thousands of empty water bottles left behind in the face of so many thirsty children must have surely set some kind of precedent.
During the 2002 summit, the London Sun lamented that some 80,000 bottles of mineral water had quenched the thirst of 60,000 visiting delegates, to the Johannesburg Earth Summit on Sustainability & Development.
While the delegates from 182 countries have long since returned home, the children of alexandra, a shantytown within stone's reach of the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandton, the Summit's host still thirst for clean water.
While water for some of these children has to come drop by drop from a standpipe, rampant unemployment and aIDS plague their shantytown.
Ironically, several dams built under the Lesotho Highlands Water Project have flooded the valuable agricultural land in the river valleys below, driving subsisting farmers into the nearest city slums.
according to Corporate Watch who recorded alexandra's plight in the video, White Gold, "Some of the huts in alexandra have mains water, but since the city's water services were sold off to French-based multinational Suez (formerly Suez Lyonnaise) the bills have tripled and many people can no longer afford to keep the water flowing."
Courtesy of Hawkin's research, here are the Canadian ties of Suez, to the Montreal-based, Desmarais family-controlled Power Corporation Inc., through Pargesa.
Both the Pargesa Holding S.a. and Suez are described on Power Corporation of Canada's website.
"The Pargesa Holding S.a. is a holding company for the Pargesa group, which holds significant positions in four large companies based in Europe. These companies operate in strategic industries, including media and entertainment, energy, water, waste services and specialty minerals.
"Pargesa is engaged in a process of strategic refocus, strengthening management and transforming local and regional companies into world leaders in their respective fields."
Power Corp. describes Suez, continental Europe's largest independent power producer, as "a leading international industrial organization providing private and global services related to energy, water, waste services and communications."
"active in promoting sustained development, it provides global solutions for businesses, individuals and municipalities.
But not apparently for children lining up in queues to drink water from african standpipes.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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