In the past decade South Africa has witnessed an upsurge in negative labelling of informal settlements in policies and programmes, the removal of informal settlements from strategic positions in the city, and even legislative amendments to facilitate such...
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South Africa’s New Apartheid | by Sabine Cessou
A group of building workers relaxed on the pavement in central Cape Town, enjoying their lunch break. Every minute was precious; nobody was in a hurry to get back to work. "They pay us peanuts," said a bricklayer with a gold tooth. On the equivalent of $1,470 a month,...
The 2013/14 Budget: One step forward, two steps backwards
This budget takes one step forward, only to take two steps backwards. It is delivered in a deepening economic and social crisis. In our country, this is highlighted by desperate struggles for basic needs. We have seen this in Marikana and the mineworkers' and...
Disempowering women through the “green economy” | by Clarissa Militante
“The Future We Want,” the text being discussed by governments for Rio+20, promotes rhetoric of empowering women but in reality, it not only disempowers them further, it also gives more rights and access to corporations. The basic step towards achieving women...
Beyond Marriage: Democracy, Equality, and Kinship for a New Century | by Lisa Duggan
A few weeks after September 11, 2001, I went with my ex-lover to register as domestic partners with the city of New York. We had never registered our relationship with any state agency during the 17 years that we had actually been partners. But we changed our minds...
Where enforcement, not relaxation of laws is the way forward
The Greek economic crisis has moved off the front pages and, once again, there is talk of perhaps an upturn in various economies. But the Greek crisis has not disappeared and Europe remains shaky, especially around the edges in countries such as Ireland, Spain,...
The European crisis: a hurricane for South Africa | by Amandla! editorial staff
The economic storm triggered by the 2008 financial crash in the USA and Europe led to the loss of more than one million jobs in South Africa. Today we know that the crisis never really abated.How could it? Claims for hefty profits, wheedled through strange and complex...
Are South African elites paying attention to these underlying economic dynamics? | Patrick Bond
Not judging by this year’s long-range response from the National Planning Commission’s talented technical, political, civil society and business thinkers. Its fascinating diagnostic analysis of why South Africa is beginning to slide off the rails is negated by the...
Occupy Wall Streeters are right about skewed economic rewards in the United States | by Josh Bivens and Lawrence Mishel
The Occupy Wall Street movement has captured much the nation’s attention with a clear message: A U.S. economy driven by the interests of business and the wealthy has generated increasingly unequal economic outcomes where the top 1 percent did exceptionally well but...



