Marikana
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Marikana’s legacy is one of justice denied and capital’s greed
10 years after the brutal massacre of striking mine workers in Marikana in South Africa, Mbuso Ngubane, Deputy General Secretary of NUMSA, talks about questions of justice and the close ties between mining giants and the state Continue reading
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Marikana: The Struggle for Breath and Dignity
“We are dying slowly in Marikana,” says Bongani Mpofu, 31, who lives in the North West province mining town’s Maditlokwa shack settlement. “The carbon monoxide that comes from underground by way of ventilators that are positioned in the veld blows in the direction of the community. Continue reading
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‘The Politic of Blood’: Political Repression in South Africa
In his famous speech from the dock in April 1964, Nelson Mandela spoke of ‘revolutionary democracy’ rooted in precolonial forms of collective deliberation and decision making. In a speech given in April 1982, Joe Foster, then General Secretary of the Federation of South African Trade Unions (Fosatu), stressed the need for workers ‘to build their… Continue reading
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Death of South Africa’s Lonmin Mining House. “Murder by Money” By Prof. Patrick Bond
The death of the 110-year old mining house Lonmin at a London shareholders meeting on May 28 occurred not through bankruptcy or nationalisation, as would have been logical at various points in time. It was the result of a takeover – generally understood as a rip-off of investors and workers – by an extremely jejune… Continue reading
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Cyril Ramaphosa relaunches neo-liberalism By Prof. Patrick Bond
Cyril Ramaphosa’s soft-coup firing of Jacob Zuma from the South African presidency on 14 February 2018, after nearly nine years in power and a bitter struggle to avoid resignation, has contradictory local and geopolitical implications. Amidst general applause at seeing Zuma’s rear end in the society, immediately concerns arise about the new president’s neo-liberal, pro-corporate… Continue reading
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Marikana Massacre Hangs Over South Africa's New Extremely Rich ANC Leader
After a tight race that exposed stark divisions within the party, the African National Congress elected Cyril Ramaphosa, an anti-apartheid crusader, business tycoon, and key suspect in the 2012 Marikana Massacre is positioned to be the country’s next president. But will he root out corruption, or is he part of the problem? (inc. transcript) Continue reading
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South Africa: Forging a New Movement – Numsa and the Shift in SA Politics By Leonard Gentle
The decision of the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) to cut ties with the African National Congress (ANC) has received poor analysis. Comment has tended to focus on the possibility of a new political party in 2019 or whether all this means that Zwelenzima Vavi will get his job back. As… Continue reading
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Where do broken ANC hearts go? By By Ranjeni Munusamy
For people who have been in the ANC from during the liberation struggle, it is no easy choice to leave the organisation, no matter how disappointed and angry they get with it. But as the 2014 election approaches, there might be a whole batch of ANC leaders, members and supporters wondering what they will do… Continue reading
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South Africa: Sectarian shame of the SACP By Terry Bell
Shortly after the column below was written and blogged, the SA Communist Party issued its statement on Marikana that reveals the deep and dangerous sectarianism of this organisation. Here, I feel, is exposed one of the roots of the problem. I include here the final paragraph of that statement as an introduction to a repeat… Continue reading
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South Africa: Licenced to Kill By Richard Pithouse
There is no properly researched body count but a quick internet search throws up media reports of nearly forty people having being killed by the police during protests since the killing started on a university campus in Durban in 2000. The Tatane murder became so well known for the simple reason that it was captured… Continue reading
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How the ANC's Faustian Pact Sold Out South Africa's Poorest By Ronnie Kasrils
A veteran of the South African freedom struggle and its Black-led government says the African National Congress’ soul “was eventually lost to corporate power: we were entrapped by the neoliberal economy – or, as some today cry out, we ‘sold our people down the river.’” Continue reading
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South Africa: Pro-government faction attacks COSATU's Zwelinzima Vavi By Benjamin Fogel
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is in the midst of the biggest crisis in its 27-year history. This crisis has arisen from a South African Communist Party (SACP)-driven attempt to oust democratically elected COSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, under the guise of corruption charges. Continue reading
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Popstars Politics in the New South Africa: A Conversation with Masello Motana By Zachary Rosen
Well, life would be much simpler for Masello if only she was content with collecting paychecks from beauty contracts and soap opera gigs. If only she pretended last year’s horrific massacre of mineworkers at the now infamous Marikana platinum mine in South Africa’s northwest never happened. If only she ignored the fact that businessman Cyril… Continue reading
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Video: South Africa and the Resource Curse
Patrick Bond: Mining interests are a powerful force shaping African politics (inc. transcript) Continue reading
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Video: Platinum Miners and Class Struggle in South Africa By Patrick Bond
Patrick Bond: Platinum miners strike inspires workers across South Africa; Billionaire mine owner becomes deputy head of ANC Continue reading
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South Africa: The road from 1996 to Mangaung By Terry Bell
The tortuous road to the governing ANC’s centennial conference at Mangaung ends next week. And, not to put too fine a point on it, much of the country is gatvol with the route it has taken and where it has arrived. Continue reading
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South Africa: Politics, profits and policing after the Marikana Massacre By Patrick Bond
Lover of fast cars, vintage wine, trout fishing and game farming and the second richest black businessperson in South Africa (global financial publication Forbes puts his wealth at $675 million or £416 million), Cyril Ramaphosa (left) celebrates his election as deputy president of the ANC with South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma. Ramaphosa demanded that police… Continue reading
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South Africa after Marikana massacre: Strike wave and new workers' organisations challenge old compromises By Leonard Gentle
Over the November 10-11, 2012, weekend striking mineworkers of the Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) corporation gathered at a mass rally in Rustenburg and howled their defiance of a series of ultimatums issued by the company. At De Doorns, farm workers are on a “wildcat” strike — the latest of a series that has become a… Continue reading
The New Dark Age 