South Africa Archives - Page 4 of 4

22Jul

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South Africa

South Africa: An open letter of SAFTU to the Communist Party

NOVANEWS Why we are unable to honour the invitation to your Congress Nigel Sibanda Zwelinzima Vavi The South African Federation of Trade Unions turned down an invitation to the congress of the South African Communist Party. SACP is an ally of the ruling African National Congress. SAFTU says SACP is as guilty as the Jacob Zuma government in implementing a neoliberal programme that is anti-poor, anti-working class, pro-capitalist and anti-socialist. Dr Blade Nzimande General Secretary South African Communist Party Braamfontein Dear Comrade General Secretary, Thank you for the invitation to your elective 14th National Congress, which we have carefully considered. As the second largest and fastest growing trade union federation in the country, and one wi...

20Jul

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South Africa

Democracy is looking sickly across southern Africa

NOVANEWS Henning Melber The political climate remains fragile and the mentality of most opposition politicians hardly offers meaningful alternatives. This is possibly an explanation – but no excuse – for the undemocratic practices permeating almost every one of the region’s nations. Beyond multi-party systems with regular elections, they resemble very little of true democracies. Politics are in shambles across the world. Populism and political gambles are making headlines from London to Washington. Southern Africa is no exception. If it’s any comfort, this suggests that there’s nothing genuinely typical about African versions of political populism. Nor are the flaws in democracy typically African. This might put some events into wider perspective. But it’s nonetheless w...

19Jul

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South Africa

White, white, white: History repeats itself

NOVANEWS Douglas Schorr The judgment has been handed down on Helen Zille, leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance, muzzling her from any party related communications in future. She said that colonialism wasn’t all bad. Her tweet was insensitive but true, the backlash furious and nonsensical. Why? I blame black guilt, which I understand very well, because I’m white. The old way ‘I grew up in Rhodesia,’ I said out loud recently, whilst taking a walk with my son (he’s 35, I’m 69). His face soured. ‘Why do you have to say that? Why can’t you say Zimbabwe?’ ‘Because they’re not the same thing. Rhodesia was different from Zimbabwe. I never lived in Zimbabwe. Rhodesia is where I grew up.’ There was a tense silence. ‘Why do I still identify with Rhodesia?’ I won...

21Apr

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South Africa

Why I pulled out of Kenya’s 2017 presidential race

NOVANEWS Philip Kamakya Philip Murgor Elections in Kenya have become a ritual performed periodically to legitimise the control of power by a few, while the majority remain silent, but enraged, waiting for the opportunity to vent their frustrations. Just a few months before the August 8 poll, all indications are that the type of leadership the country needs to end corruption and tribalism has no chance of rising. Kenya has a long way to go. In December 2016, I announced my decision to run for election as President of the Republic of Kenya. The pronouncement came after almost a long reflection on the terrible state of the circus that characterizes our country’s politics, which is today driven by the scourges of corruption and tribalism. Over time, l...

21Apr

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South Africa

For South Africans, another ‘long trek’ looms

NOVANEWS Getty Images Abdulrazaq Magaji Stiff-necked apartheid high priests had their problems but none of them contemplated the type of weird political culture the ANC and Mr. Zuma are foisting on post-apartheid South Africa. Where is that country headed? From the look of things, another long, tortuous trek looms in South Africa. The ‘long trek’ has been primed by what many expected would be a honey-coated story but which has now left a bitter taste in the mouth of South Africans! Coming a little over two decades after South Africa threw off the yoke of apartheid, the trek threatens to replace white minority rule with black majority dictatorship. We can only hope the mere thought of South Africa sliding into dictatorship under President Jacob Z...

25Dec

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South Africa

The importance of being a social movement activist in South Africa’s battle for clean energy

NOVANEWS Mpophomeni Conservation Group Jasper Finkeldey The decision-making framework provided by the South African constitution after the dawn of democracy highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement, thus increasing the power of activism. Vast stretches of the country are now earmarked for unconventional oil and gas exploration. Activists need to be vigilant that no application goes unchallenged. In Oscar Wilde’s famous play, The Importance of Being Ernest, the hero pretends to be the honourable Ernest Worthing who to his surprise he turns out to be at the end of the play. Living a double life, John pretending to be Ernest, for the sake of marrying his beloved Gwendolen, struggles to keep appearance. When finally he finds out he has been the ...

25Dec

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South Africa

Black girls “throwing tantrums” over hair? Excuse me

NOVANEWS Screen-grab: looptt.com Sitinga Kachipande To call a conscious protest by schoolgirls resisting racism a “tantrum” is myopic. Although apartheid has long been legally dismantled in South Africa, racism still exists and whiteness there still means being part of a privileged group; one whose traditions, religion, food and appearance - including hairstyle - is still the default norm. It’s hardly surprising that BBC’s 2016 most influential women in the world list included Zulaikha Patel, one of the girls that led the protests at Pretoria High School for Girls (PHSG). She has reminded us that barely a decade after Indie Arie proudly sang, “I am not my hair”, matters of black hair are still very much political. The gains made by the Black Pride and ...

25Dec

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South Africa

Popular democratic power is the way to challenge inequality

NOVANEWS Abahlali Thapelo Mohapi The most important task in the struggle for a more equal society is to build the power of impoverished people through building democratic popular organisations. It is through these organisations that the people can challenge the state and capital. [This talk was presented at a forum entitled, ‘Fighting Inequality – Talks on How to Change the World’, 23 November 2016, Oslo, Norway.] Greetings to all. I am Thapelo Mohapi the current elected General Secretary of the movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. I would like to begin by thanking our friends at Norwegian People's Aid for the invitation to participate in this discussion. Abahlali baseMjondolo is a democratic movement of shack dwellers and other impoverished and marginal...

25Dec

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South Africa

South Africa’s junk credit rating was avoided, but at the cost of junk analysis

NOVANEWS Punch NG Patrick Bond Major investors were hoping Zuma would fall, but the ruling ANC turned to well-tested strategies to yet again protect him. And although credit rating agencies had offered pessimistic commentary on Zuma’s reign in their most recent statements, they did not downgrade South Africa to junk status. But the whip remains poised above the country’s head, awaiting next June’s ratings. Standard&Poors (S&P) gave South Africa a fearful few hours of anticipation last Friday, just after dust from the political windstorm of the prior week settled. The agency downgraded the government’s securities that are denominated in the local currency (the Rand) although it refrained from the feared junk status on international securities. It wa...