April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal
April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal April 2011 - Centre for Civil Society - University of KwaZulu-Natal
workers succeed at transforming their unions into radical movements, these investment arms could be shut and the resources that have been following into them (like a large portion of members’ dues) could be used for vastly different purposes, like defending the working class including defending occupied factories. As such, unions should cease the practice of forming investment arms; and instead focus on using union’s resources to fight against capitalists and the state. Using such resources to bolster factory occupations, would also mean that workers occupying a factory would not be under an immense pressure to turn to the state for funding, and they would not have to simply accept the conditions that states place on such funding. It would, therefore, provide a much greater space for independent action. Indeed, if factory or workplace occupations could become more generalised, and if the workers could hold onto these workplaces and begin to democratically run them, this could also be used as one element to build a sense of counter-power and a counter culture that could in the future fundamentally challenge capitalism and the state. True freedom will only exist once the state and capitalism (or any market system) have gone – it is only then that all oppression can be ended, imbalances of power eradicated, and the relations of production that exist in the current society ended. Only in a society based on economic planning from below through councils and assemblies, distribution by need, self-governance based on federated councils using direct democracy and worker self-management will freedom exist – which, by its very nature, is incompatible with state control and indeed the very notion of a state. Mine-Line, and hopefully other future occupations and examples of self management, could act as training grounds – along with self-managed revolutionary movements - for such a future self-managed society. They could be places that generate and nurture practices of direct democracy, class independence and class pride – ingredients that will be necessary for any genuine revolution. In fact, it is high time that workers begin taking back the wealth they have produced from the bosses and politicians, and to do this factory occupations and embarking on worker self-management are some of the main keys. As part of this, workers need to also begin giving the middle finger back to the state; and not go on hands and knees begging for it to take ownership of what is actually rightfully theirs. In other words they need to begin building the elements of a future revolution now so they themselves will know how to run a future socialist society, without any reliance on some higher power like a state or ‘revolutionary’ elite. Reference: 1. Thanks goes to Lucien van der Walt and comrades from Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (ZACF) for comments and feedback on the article. 2. Van der Walt, L. Saving jobs in South Africa in the crunch: ‘engage’ or revolt. http://www.anarkismo.net/article/12781?userlanguage=no&save_prefs=true 20th April 2009 3. http://www.allafrica.com/stories/201010150988.html 15th October 2010 4. Maria van Driel. 2005. Social Dialogue, Neoliberalism and Trade Unions in South Africa. Khanya: A Journal For Activists. No. 8, pp. 27-29 5.http://www.socialistworld.net 26th October 2010 6. Khuzwayo, W. Workers sit tight at bankrupt firm. The Sunday Independent. 14th November 2010
7. http://www.sacsis.org.za/site/article/584.1 22nd November 2010 8. It is not clear whether this is or is not the case, but it was claimed by the leadership of MEWUSA during the National Congress of March 2011 9. Personal communication ZACF comrades 10. MEWUSA Statement on the Mine-Line/TAP Engineering occupation. http://www.mewusa.org.za 18th November 2010 11. Personal communication ZACF comrades 12. http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,40,5,2188 27 October 2010 13. http://www.socialistsouthafrica.co.za 14. Kropotkin, P. 1897. The State: Its Historic Role. Freedom Press: United Kingdom 15. Philip, T. K. 2006. Enterprise Development on the Margins: Making Markets Work for the Poor. Wits PHD Thesis. 16. Brown, T. 1995. Lenin and Workers’ Control. AK Press: United States 17. Brinton, M. 1970. The Bolsheviks and Workers’ Control. Black Rose Books: Canada 18. Hattingh, S. 2010. Mineworkers’ direct action: occupations and sit-ins in South Africa. Working USA: The Journal of Labor and Society Vol. 13, Issue 3 pp. 343-350. 19. http://www.dispatch.co.za/therep/article.aspx?id=391569 9th April 2010 20. Trigona, M. 2006. Recuperated factories in Argentina. www.zcommunications.org/recuperated-enterprises-in-argentina-by-marietrigona 21. Hattingh, S. 2010. Mineworkers’ direct action: occupations and sit-ins in South Africa. Working USA: The Journal of Labor and Society Vol. 13, Issue 3 pp. 343-350. 22. Iheduru, O. 2001. Organised labour, globalization, and economic reform: union investment companies in South Africa. Transformation Vol. 46 pp. 1-29. Successful African alternatives to corporate ‘green revolutions’ Carol Thompson and Andrew Mushita First Published in Pambazuka 30 March 2011 In the face of the Rockefeller and Gates foundations-funded AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa) lobby ‘to extend outdated 20th century industrial agriculture’ to the continent, Carol Thompson and Andrew Mushita look at alternative African approaches for improving agriculture that focus instead on farmers' rights and build upon local knowledge.
- Page 25 and 26: neutral until this moment," said Mo
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7. http://www.sacsis.org.za/site/article/584.1 22nd November 2010<br />
8. It is not clear whether this is or is not the case, but it was claimed by the<br />
leadership <strong>of</strong> MEWUSA during the National Congress <strong>of</strong> March <strong>2011</strong><br />
9. Personal communication ZACF comrades<br />
10. MEWUSA Statement on the Mine-Line/TAP Engineering occupation.<br />
http://www.mewusa.org.za 18th November 2010<br />
11. Personal communication ZACF comrades<br />
12. http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,40,5,2188 27 October 2010<br />
13. http://www.socialistsouthafrica.co.za<br />
14. Kropotkin, P. 1897. The State: Its Historic Role. Freedom Press: United<br />
Kingdom<br />
15. Philip, T. K. 2006. Enterprise Development on the Margins: Making Markets<br />
Work <strong>for</strong> the Poor. Wits PHD Thesis.<br />
16. Brown, T. 1995. Lenin and Workers’ Control. AK Press: United States<br />
17. Brinton, M. 1970. The Bolsheviks and Workers’ Control. Black Rose Books:<br />
Canada<br />
18. Hattingh, S. 2010. Mineworkers’ direct action: occupations and sit-ins in<br />
South Africa. Working USA: The Journal <strong>of</strong> Labor and <strong>Society</strong> Vol. 13, Issue 3<br />
pp. 343-350.<br />
19. http://www.dispatch.co.za/therep/article.aspx?id=391569 9th <strong>April</strong> 2010<br />
20. Trigona, M. 2006. Recuperated factories in Argentina.<br />
www.zcommunications.org/recuperated-enterprises-in-argentina-by-marietrigona<br />
21. Hattingh, S. 2010. Mineworkers’ direct action: occupations and sit-ins in<br />
South Africa. Working USA: The Journal <strong>of</strong> Labor and <strong>Society</strong> Vol. 13, Issue 3<br />
pp. 343-350.<br />
22. Iheduru, O. 2001. Organised labour, globalization, and economic re<strong>for</strong>m:<br />
union investment companies in South Africa. Trans<strong>for</strong>mation Vol. 46 pp. 1-29.<br />
Successful African alternatives to corporate ‘green revolutions’<br />
Carol Thompson and Andrew Mushita First Published in Pambazuka 30 March<br />
<strong>2011</strong><br />
In the face <strong>of</strong> the Rockefeller and Gates foundations-funded AGRA<br />
(Alliance <strong>for</strong> a Green Revolution in Africa) lobby ‘to extend outdated 20th<br />
century industrial agriculture’ to the continent, Carol Thompson and<br />
Andrew Mushita look at alternative African approaches <strong>for</strong> improving<br />
agriculture that focus instead on farmers' rights and build upon local<br />
knowledge.
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