South Africa

On November 22nd, 5,000 workers from various facilities and distribution centers belonging to the dairy company Clover were swept by a powerful strike that could have brought about economic paralysis, although this would not come to pass. By Cesar Neto of CSP – Conlutas Translated by Carlos Sapir The strike had many special characteristics: it […]

As of November 22, 5,000 workers from several Clover plants and distribution centers were involved in a powerful strike that could have been just another strike for economic reasons, but it goes beyond that.

The wave of looting that occurred in South Africa in July showed the bankruptcy of the ANC/COSATU/Communist Party tripartite model of government. The left in general and the reformist left in particular try to minimize the events in this country. This text will try to demonstrate: a) that 300 dead show how repressive Mandela’s Rainbow […]

In recent months, sub-Saharan Africa has been shaken by numerous struggles. Youth and popular struggles in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Senegal, Swaziland. Worker strikes in Kenya and Guinea. South Africa, ruled and controlled by the ANC/COSATU/Communist Party consortium for 27 years, seemed immune to this wave of struggles. The contradictions were building up and underneath the anger […]

“No African is  a foreigner in Africa – except down in  South Africa” Achille Mbembe

The German government decided, through the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), together with South African Volkswagen, to support the battle against Coronavirus in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The South African government has just adopted two help lines. To save the bourgeoisie, up to US$ 16.2 bn. For the workers, 6 installments of US$ 18[1].

No African is a foreigner in Africa – except down in South Africa Achille Mbembe, is from Cameroun, and he is professor and researcher of Witwatersrand University

There is a great coincidence between xenophobic attacks in South Africa. In 2008, at the height of the global economic crisis, a wave of xenophobia killed 42 people, injured hundreds and 25,000 people had to leave their homes.

There is a long history of student activism in South Africa. Students were part of the fight against apartheid. For many years, students have protested against the university fees, which prevent students from working class families from attending university. For example, the fees for a year at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are around […]

The Farlam Commission is part of the capitalist instruments of violence against the masses The Farlam Commission lists as a central theme: ‘The Commission is of the view that the first „game changer‟ was another decision by the strikers, to enforce the unprotected strike by violence and Intimidation.’ (p512). In other words, they argue that […]

The NUM officials were well aware the RDO’s at Lonmin were underpaid but signed a two year agreement with Lonmin, where they were the sole bargaining union, which excluded addressing the wage demands of the RDO’s. This agreement was due to last until late in 2013. The NUM leaders were thus an instrument of the […]

The police claim that the original plan was to roll out the barb wire all at once, early in the morning and then surround and disperse the few strikers who had come to the koppie.  

The leadership of the SACP, NUM, Cosatu and the ANC would have us believe that the striking mineworkers at Marikana were ‘violent’, that they were thugs. The Farlam Commission report, limited as it is, shows the contrary.

A few years ago, an important leader of the ANC (African National Congress) said, “I fear the wheels are coming off”, referring to the economic and political situation of South Africa. He was right, and the wheels continue to loosen. Throughout these years, in general terms, we may say that there was a violent deindustrialization […]

Several cities in Sout Africa participate of the General Strike called by the South-African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA,) both independent from the government of the CNA. The strike was strongly supported by popular organizations like Abahlali baseMjondolo.