issues

Farmworker Housing | by Benjamin Fogel

The housing crisis is not merely confined to the cities and towns of South Africa; it is at the heart of political struggles in rural areas as well. Farmworkers not only face the same types of issues as those who dwell in urban areas, but also face some that are...

read more

Blaqpearl: The new voice of the Cape?

WHY THE NAME BLAQPEARL? Back in the day I was part of a hip hop group called Insidious Inc. The three males in the group, including my late brother, Mr Devious, all had stage names – of course I also wanted one! So being rarely aware of myself from a very young age...

read more
COSATU: a house divided| by Benjamin Fogel

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...

read more
Whose strike to whose gain? | by Christian Selz

Whose strike to whose gain? | by Christian Selz

Alongside the prominent demand for R150 a day, striking farm workers in the Western Cape are demanding an end to labour brokering – an uphill battle that they are likely to lose given that some of their perceived leaders appear to trade in that very business. It is...

read more

Protest Politics:Sweet Home

a version of this article was published in the Mail & Guardian on 21 September 2012 By Jared Sacks For much of this winter, communities in shack settlements across Cape Town have taken to the streets in some of the most active civil disobedience protests since...

read more