For all his initial enthusiasm, Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramathlodi's attempts to resolve the platinum strike met the same fate as those of the CCMA, the minister of labour and the Labour Court. The parties downing tools rejected the minister's proposal...
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Report from Turkey: A taste of Tahir at Taksim
by Sungar Savran Istanbul has become a battlefield covered by tear gas. The police, no doubt at the behest of the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP government, have been attacking protestors in the centre of the city, near Taksim Square, for five consecutive...
The Left and Political Islam | by Farid Esak
The task of defining both the Left and political Islam is no mean one. Both function and are understood within their own conceptual frameworks, geographical locations and time frames. In the limited space available here one can only speak in broad terms – thereby...
COSATU: a house divided| by Benjamin Fogel
COSATU is in the midst of the biggest crisis in its 27-year history. This crisis has arisen from an SACP-driven attempt to oust democratically elected COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, under the guise of corruption charges. The conflict's roots are in...
“The strength of Cosatu still lies in its members”
Interview with Eddie Webster, director of the Chris Hani Institute Edward Webster is Professor Emeritus in the Society, Work and Development Institute (SWOP), at the University of the Witwatersrand. He was recently appointed director of the Chris Hani Institite (CHI)...
What the frack: will shale gas develop or retard the Karoo? | by David Fig
The South African government lifted the moratorium on fracking on 7 September, opening the way for exploration of what's been sold as a massive shale gas resource beneath the beautiful, sparsely populated Great Karoo. Fracking (short for hydraulic fracturing) is a...
The crisis in Spain: Winners and losers | by Brian Anglo
The key question is who, i.e. which class, is going to pay for this enormous crisis. Whichever one wins the battle, it will be directly at the other's expense. So far the popular classes are taking a beating. Can this be turned round? Throughout Europe people are...
The crisis in Spain: Winners and losers | by Brian Anglo
The key question is who, i.e. which class, is going to pay for this enormous crisis. Whichever one wins the battle, it will be directly at the other's expense. So far the popular classes are taking a beating. Can this be turned round? Throughout Europe people are...
The brutal history of South Africa’s platinum industry | by Gavin Capps
Gavin Capps looks at how platinum has taken centre stage in South Africa's mining industry—and how workers have paid the cost Platinum mining is a big part of South Africa's economy. South Africa holds 88 percent of the world's platinum reserves and accounts for over...







