Opinion
Still dealing with symptoms rather than causes
By tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, October 20) it should become clear whether Britain is about to join the growing tide of European rebellion against economic austerity that has become particularly vociferous and violent in Greece and Spain.
Why is the Public Investment Corporation bankrolling private education for the rich?
Next month young activists will attempt to make Bhisho the centre of the world. Members of Equal Education (EE) will be present throughout the duration of a court case aimed at securing infrastructure standards for every school in South Africa.
Understanding the Simelane judgment
The Constitutional Court is proving that there is life after Chaskalson, Langa, O’Regan and Ngcobo. Many feared that new Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng would usher in an era of slavish Executive-mindedness – and that may still come true – but recent judgments of the Court are quite the opposite.
Tougher times ahead as tensions ratchet up in Europe
In a world wracked by ongoing economic crises, what is the role of trade unions? And if they focus solely on “bread and butter issues”, are they, as National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka says, doomed to fail because “broader policies are shaped at a political level”.
The mining industry strike wave: what are the causes and what are the solutions?
In this important paper, Gavin Hartford analyses the root causes of the mining industry strikes and proposes solutions.
The immense danger and opportunity of climate change
There’s an astonishing blind spot that afflicts most of South Africa’s elites and intelligentsia, and indeed, our civilisation. It’s particularly tragic that South Africa, which suffered nearly 10 years of HIV denialism, should now also be afflicted by climate change denial.
Better politics is essential to fix education
The Limpopo textbooks debacle has exposed the staggering incompetence of Angie Motshekga, the Minister of Basic Education, and Bobby Soobrayan, her Director-General. But a recent incident indicates that they or their colleagues in the Department of Basic Education are also very nasty.
Cold war echoes and trade union reform
Both the Cold War and the bitter battles between communists and social democrats in Germany of the Thirties found an echo at the 11th Cosatu national congress in Midrand last week; an echo that is now being assessed by labour organisations and activists around the world.
Zuma, the bible and the COSATU Congress
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven was amazed at the media interest shown in the eleventh national congress of the federation. Shortly before the congress opened its doors, 347 media accreditations had been processed, with additional enquiries still being dealt with.
Why the school closures are wrong
This is an edited version of a speech that was delivered on 15 September at a march in Cape Town against the proposed closure of 27 schools.