What has the South African government delivered in 20 years? A massive welfare state with 16 million grant recipients (nearly a third of the population); 95% of the people served with clean water access; a rising rate of matriculation by 12th graders; a dramatic...
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Mandela’s Democracy
By Andrew Nash from Monthly Review The Tribal Model of DemocracyIn his speech from the dock, at his 1962 trial for inciting African workers to strike and leaving the country without a passport, Nelson Mandela described the initial formation of his political ideas....
Solidarity for beginners Palestine / Israel conflict | by Carol Martin
Who are the "Palestinians"? people of araBic language and culture constitute the majority. They adhere to the religions of Islam and Christianity, and have lived for thousands of years under various rulers of the Ottoman Empire. Other peoples of the Hebrew language...
The “second transition” – let’s not get sucker punched into a false debate | by Jeremy Cronin
We are now already deep into the silly season of an ANC-led movement electoral year. At the forefront of trying to promote the silliness are some of the usual hacks in the commercial media - especially those with the attention span of a tweetable headline. Last night...
‘When civilizations start to die they go insane’ | by Chris Hedges
The implosion of Capitalism: Welcome to teh asylum When civilizations start to die they go insane. Let the ice sheets in the Arctic melt. Let the temperatures rise. Let the air, soil and water be poisoned. Let the forests die. Let the seas be emptied of life. Let one...
Polygamy: A Freezing of Culture | by Mazibuko K. Jara
Some five years ago, the overwhelming majority of both rural and urban South Africans would have baulked at the idea of polygamy. However, it seems that polygamy has regained some legitimacy and currency. Together with President Zuma, celebrities such as the composer...
Q & A with Zodwa Madiba
Zodwa Madiba was elected OKM councillor (PR) in August 2007 in Dube, Soweto. The Operation Khanyisa Movement (OKM) is an electoral front of social movements fighting against privatisation of services and for free basic services for all. The vision of OKM is socialism....
The climate change government White Paper: the right colour for South Africa? | by Jacklyn Cock
The South African government’s climate change policy is rooted in a green neoliberal capitalism: reliance on market mechanisms, technological innovation and expanding markets. Underlying all these strategies is the broad process of commodification: the transformation...
Where we are in the crisis | by William K. Tabb
The global political economy is likely to remain in crisis for at least another three to five years, with high unemployment and slow growth. The character of this period makes a grim cyclical crisis worse by adding to it both a financial component and a deeper...



