Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T08:21:14.289Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Disorderly Dakar: The cultural politics of household waste in Senegal's capital city*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2013

Rosalind Fredericks
Rosalind Fredericks*
Affiliation:
1 Washington Place, 6th Floor, The Gallatin School, New York University, New York, NY 10003
*
Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

During the era of President Abdoulaye Wade, a household waste crisis periodically held the streets of Dakar in its noxious grip. This paper analyses the crisis in light of waste management's role as a fundamental urban public service, key employment sector, and visceral symbol of the city's management. It examines how the institutional landscape of waste management took centre stage in a power struggle within the state that centred on reconfiguring the labour of ordering the city. At the same time, it reveals how the waste-workers' union emerged as one of the most visible and savvy labour movements in contemporary Senegal. Through the creative disorder unleashed by intentional acts of dirtying, workers and residents alike forged new claims to the city. Conclusions are drawn for the wider implications of the disorderly city for the urban question in Dakar and the landscape of citizenship in Senegal's contemporary period.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , September 2013 , pp. 435 - 458
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

This paper is a slightly revised version of a paper first published in French under the title ‘Dakar en proie au chaos : politique et culture des ordures ménagères dans la capitale sénégalaise’ (Diouf & Fredericks 2013). It is reprinted with permission from the editors at Karthala. The paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork in Dakar primarily conducted between 2006–2008, with several follow-up visits between 2009 and 2012. The author is indebted to Ndeye Bineta Ndoye and Ndeye Sophie Coly for assistance with the transcription and translation of interviews conducted in Wolof or French. The author is grateful for feedback from Mamadou Diouf and from an anonymous reviewer. She would also like to thank those workers, officials and residents of Dakar who generously shared their points of view. Except for those union leaders who requested that their names be used, the names have been omitted to protect the respondents' identities. All French to English translation is provided by the author. Any mistakes that remain in the text are exclusively the author's responsibility.

References

REFERENCES

Adama, O. 2007. Governing from Above: solid waste management in Nigeria's new capital city of Abuja. Stockholm: Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis.Google Scholar
Alexander, C. & Reno, J., eds. 2012. Economies of Recycling: the global transformation of materials, values and social relations. London: Zed Books.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ali, M., Olley, J., & Cotton, A.. 1998. ‘Agents of change: the case of Karachi city's waste management’, Third World Planning Review 20, 33: 255–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, W. 1995. ‘Excremental colonialism: public health and the poetics of pollution’, Critical Inquiry Spring: 640–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Appadurai, A. 2002. ‘Deep democracy: urban governmentality and the horizon of politics’, Public Culture 14, 1: 21–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bacaly, M. 2010. ‘Gestion des ordures à Dakar: Khalifa Sall et Djibo Ka se disputent 10 milliards’, L'Observateur, 20.4.2010.Google Scholar
Bales, K. 2000. Disposable People: new slavery in the global economy. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Beall, J. 2006. ‘Dealing with dirt and the disorder of development: managing rubbish in urban Pakistan’, Oxford Development Studies 34, 1: 81–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bingol, H.B. & Vengroff, R. 2012. ‘Democratization in Senegal: the failure of the ‘sopi’ revolution’, in Adebayo, A.G., ed. Managing Conflict in Africa's Democratic Transitions. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 105–18.Google Scholar
Bond, P. & McInnes, P. 2006. ‘Decommodifying electricity in postapartheid Johannesburg’, in Leitner, H., Peck, J. & Sheppard, E., eds. Contesting Neoliberalism: urban frontiers. New York, NY: Guilford Press, 157–78.Google Scholar
Cissé, O. 2007. L'Argent des Déchets: L'économie informelle à Dakar. Paris: Karthala.Google Scholar
Cissé, O. 2012. Les Décharges d'Ordures en Afrique: Mbeubeuss à Dakar au Sénégal. Paris: Karthala.Google Scholar
Cissokho, A.D. 2011. ‘Wade soutient une prise en charge de l’électricité et des ordures des mairies’, APS, 28.4.2011.Google Scholar
Dahou, T & Foucher, V.. 2004. ‘Le Sénégal, entre changement politique et révolution passé: sopi or not sopi?’ Politique Africaine 96: 5–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diallo, A. 2011. ‘Convention bicis-cadak car: les techniciens de surface accèdent aux services bancaires’, Le Soleil, 12.1.2011.Google Scholar
Diallo, I. 2011. ‘Sénégal: gestion des ordures par Soprosen – l'etat retire ‘ses 10 milliards’ à l'Entente Cadak-Car’, Sud Quotidien, 17.8.2011.Google Scholar
Diame, A. & Diop, A.A.. 2010. ‘Contrat Veolia/mairie de Dakar: les vraies raisons d'une rupture’, La Gazette, 29.1.2010.Google Scholar
Dieng, M. 2009. ‘Greve des agents du nettoiement: Dakar sous la menace des ordures’, APS, 18.2.2009.Google Scholar
Diop, M. n.d.Propos d'un Maire: Mon combat pour Dakar. Unpublished autobiography.Google Scholar
Diop, M-C. 2006. ‘Le Sénégal à la croisée des chemins’, Politique Africaine 104: 103–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diouf, M. 1992. ‘Fresques murales et écriture de l'histoire : le set/setal à Dakar’, Politique Africaine 46: 41–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diouf, M. 1996. ‘Urban youth and Senegalese politics: Dakar 1988–1994’, Public Culture 8: 225–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diouf, N. 2005. ‘Cholera epidemic spreads in Senegal, infecting dozens’, Associated Press Worldstream, 5.4.2005.Google Scholar
Diouf, M. & Fredericks, R., eds. 2013. Les Arts de la Citoyenneté au Sénégal: Espaces Contestés et Civilités Urbaines. Paris: Karthala.Google Scholar
Douglas, M. 1966. Purity and Danger: an analysis of the concepts of pollution and taboo. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Echenberg, M. 2002. Black Death, White Medicine: bubonic plague and the politics of public health in colonial Senegal, 1914–1945. Oxford: James Currey.Google Scholar
ENDA. 1991. Set/setal, des murs qui parlent: nouvelle culture urbaine à Dakar. Dakar: Enda-Tiers Monde.Google Scholar
Fahmi, W.S. & Sutton, K. 2006. ‘Cairo's Zabaleen garbage recyclers: multi-nationals’ takeover and state relocation plans’, Habitat International 30, 4: 809–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fall, M. 2007. ‘Sénégal: l'insalubrité ‘recolonise’ Dakar’, SudQuotidien, 3.5.2007.Google Scholar
Foley, E.E. 2010. Your Pocket Is What Cures You: the politics of health in Senegal. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Fredericks, R. 2009 a. Doing the Dirty Work: the cultural politics of garbage collection in Dakar, Senegal. Geography Department, University of California, Berkeley, Doctoral dissertation.Google Scholar
Fredericks, R. 2009 b. ‘Wearing the pants: gender and the politics of trash labor in Dakar’, Hagar: Studies in Culture, Polity and Identities 9, 1: 119–46.Google Scholar
Fredericks, R. 2012. ‘Valuing the dirty work: gendered trashwork in participatory Dakar’, In Alexander, C. & Reno, J., eds. Economies of Recycling. London: Zed Books.Google Scholar
Ghertner, D.A. 2010. ‘Calculating without numbers: aesthetic governmentality in Delhi's slums’, Economy and Society 39, 2: 185–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gueye, M. 2011. ‘Sénégal: Un millier de jeunes pour ramasser les déchets plastiques’, Le Soleil, 26.3.2011.Google Scholar
Hart, G. 2008. ‘The provocations of neoliberalism: contesting the nation and liberation after apartheid’, Antipode 40, 5: 678–705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawkins, G. & Muecke, S., eds. 2003. Culture and Waste: the creation and destruction of value. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.Google Scholar
Larner, W. 2003. Guest Editorial: ‘Neoliberalism?’ Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 21: 509–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mbow, P. 2008. ‘Senegal: the return of personalism’, Journal of Democracy 19, 1: 156–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, D. & Ruiters, G. 2004. The Age of Commodity: water privatization in southern Africa. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Miraftab, F. 2004. ‘Making neo-liberal governance: the disempowering work of empowerment’, International Planning Studies 9, 4: 239–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, D. 2003. The Right to the City: social justice and the fight for public space. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Moore, S. A. 2009. ‘The excess of modernity: garbage politics in Oaxaca, Mexico’, The Professional Geographer 61, 4: 426–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, S. A. 2012. ‘Garbage matters: concepts in new geographies of waste’, Progress in Human Geography 36: 780–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myers, G. A. 2005. Disposable Cities: garbage, governance, and sustainable development in urban Africa. Aldershot: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Ndiaye, A.I. 2002. ‘Le partenariat social en question? vers de nouvelles relations de travail.’ In Diop, M.C., ed. La Societe Senegalaise entre le Local et le Global. Paris: Karthala, 397–440.Google Scholar
Nettali. 25.4.2007. ‘Insalubrité: plusieurs quartiers de Dakar envahis par les ordures’. Nettali.Google Scholar
Nettali. 7.8.2007. ‘Menace d'epidemie de tuberculose chez les ebouers: les ex-travailleurs d'Ama décomptent plus d'une dizaine de décès’. Nettali.Google Scholar
Nettali. 5.1.2010. ‘Khalifa Sall, maire de Dakar: ‘le contrat de Veolia ne sera pas renouvelé’’. Nettali.Google Scholar
Nettali. 1.5.2007. ‘Le président Wade demande aux syndicats sénégalais d'observer une période de ‘perturbation zéro’.’ Nettali.Google Scholar
Nettali. 2.5.2007. ‘Me Wade arrose nuitamment des leaders syndicaux à coup de millions’. Nettali.Google Scholar
Nettali. 22.9.2008. ‘Ramassage des ordures-crise à Veolia: 130 agents licenciés puis repris’. Nettali.Google Scholar
Peck, J. & Tickell, A.. 2002. ‘Neoliberalizing space’, Antipode 34: 380–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Quotidien. 20.2.2009. ‘Ses camarades éboueurs inondent Dakar d'ordures: Madani Sy en garde à vue au commissariat’. Le Quotidien.Google Scholar
République du Sénégal, 24.04.2002. ‘Communiqué officiel: eclairages sur le contrat liant l'etat du Sénégal à la société ALCYON.SA’. Primature.Google Scholar
Ruiters, G. 2006. ‘Social control and social welfare under neoliberalism in South African cities: contradictions in free basic water services’, in Murray, M. & Myers, G., eds. Cities in Contemporary Africa. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan, 289–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samson, M. 2007. ‘Privatizing collective public goods: re-fracturing the ‘public’ and re-segmenting labour markets. A case study of street cleaning in Johannesburg, South Africa’, Studies in Political Economy 79, Spring: 119–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seck, A.A. 2010. ‘Les ébouers suspendent seur décision de laisser Dakar inondée d'ordures: ils ont obtenu trois grandes victoires’, Le Populaire, 5.11.2010.Google Scholar
Seck, E.M. 2011. ‘Khalifa Sall pas content du retrait de l'etat des ordures de Dakar’, APS, 19.8.2011.Google Scholar
Seneweb. 16.8.2011. ‘Gestion des ordures: la loi de 96 dans les poubelles’, Seneweb News.Google Scholar
Sidy, A. 2011. ‘Supposée adhésion de la ville de Dakar au projet de loi portant création de la Soprosen: Khalifa Sall dément le ministre d'etat Awa Ndiaye’, Walfadjiri, 19.8.2011.Google Scholar
Le Soleil. 8.4.2011. ‘Gestion des dechets a Dakar: Khalifa Sall engage la bataille de l'or dur contre l'etat’, Le Soleil.Google Scholar
Standing, G. 1999. ‘Global feminization through flexible labor: A theme revisited’, World Development 27, 3:583–602.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sud Quotidien. 25.4.2007. ‘Insalubrité: Dakar (ré)envahie!’ Sud Quotidien.Google Scholar
Sud Quotidien. 4.10.2007. ‘Ex travailleurs de AMA Senegal: les 712 millions FCfa de la discorde’, Sud Quotidien.Google Scholar
Sud Quotidien. 18.12.2012. ‘Suppression du SOPROSEN: Macky refile ‘l'or … dur’ aux collectivités locales’, Sud Quotidien.Google Scholar
Swanson, M.W. 1977. ‘The Sanitation syndrome: bubonic plague and urban native policy in the Cape Colony, 1900–1909’, Journal of African History 18, 3: 387–410.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traore, K. 2012. ‘Semaine de la propreté: plus de 400 jeunes s'engagent à débarrasser Dakar de ses ordures’, Walfadjri, 1.1.2012.Google Scholar
WalFadjri. 19.5.2010. ‘Sénégal: gestion des ordures ménagères: les communes bientôt déchargées au profit de l'Aprosen’. WalFadjri.Google Scholar
Wright, M. 2006. Disposable Women and Other Myths of Global Capitalism. London: Routledge.Google Scholar

Interviews

Cissé, Mamadou Lakhassane, Director General of CADAK-CAR, CADAK-CAR offices, Dakar, 30.5.2007.

Diop, Mamadou, ex Mayor of Dakar, Diop law firm, Dakar, 17.7.2007.

HLM residents (1), HLM Fass, 16.5.2007.

HLM resident (2), HLM Fass, 27.8.2007.

Sall, Khalifa, Mayor of Dakar, Hotel de Ville, Dakar, 4.8.2011.

Sy, Madany, Secretary General of SNTN, SNTN headquarters, Dakar, 18.6.2012.