Author: Lucien van der Walt

I teach at Rhodes University, the Eastern Cape. I’m 10th generation South African, born and bred. I have long been involved in union and working class education, and have a background in social movement and left-wing activism, the Workers’ Library and Museum, the Anti-Privatisation Forum, and the National Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU). I’ve presented or published 450+ papers, including conferences and workshops, co-edited 4 journal specials (on global and African labour history, and the left), and produced five books. Southern Africa editor for the 2009 'International Encyclopaedia of Revolution and Protest' (Blackwell). I won the 2008 international ‘Labor History’ PhD thesis prize, and the 2008/2009 Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) award for best African dissertation, for my thesis on South African anarchism, syndicalism and black militants. I have also done research in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

[REVIEW]: Lucien van der Walt, 1997, Film review, Ken Loach’s “Land and Freedom” (“Anarchists-syndicalists sidelined”)

Lucien van der Walt, 1997, Film review: Land and Freedom, directed by Ken Loach, entitled "Anarchists-syndicalists sidelined," from Debate: voices from the South African left, number 2 (first series), pp. 123-124.  Note: review was deeply influenced by the review in Scottish Anarchist, no. 3, 1997. Get the PDF of the review here   "Land and Freedom," … Continue reading [REVIEW]: Lucien van der Walt, 1997, Film review, Ken Loach’s “Land and Freedom” (“Anarchists-syndicalists sidelined”) →

[ANALYSIS]: Chinguwo, Byrne, McGregor & van der Walt, “Why May Day matters to Malawi… History with anarchist roots”

Paliani Chinguwo, Sian Byrne, Warren McGregor and Lucien van der Walt, 1 May 2013, “Why May Day Matters to Malawi ... history with anarchist roots”, The Nation, Labour Day Supplement, (Malawi), pp. 11-12. The PDF is here Why May Day matters to Malawi …History with anarchist roots Paliani Chinguwo, Sian Byrne, Warren McGregor and Lucien … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Chinguwo, Byrne, McGregor & van der Walt, “Why May Day matters to Malawi… History with anarchist roots” →

[JOURNAL] : Bonner, Hyslop & van der Walt, 2007, “Rethinking Worlds of Labour: southern African labour history in international context”

Philip Bonner, Jonathan Hyslop and Lucien van der Walt, 2007, “Rethinking Worlds of Labour: southern African labour history in international context”, African Studies, volume 66, number 2/3, special issue ‘Transnational and Comparative Perspectives on Southern African Labour History’, pp. 137-180. Introduction to a special issue of African Studies, arising from a labour history conference in … Continue reading [JOURNAL] : Bonner, Hyslop & van der Walt, 2007, “Rethinking Worlds of Labour: southern African labour history in international context” →

[SPEECH]: Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Speech to Metalworkers: anarcho-syndicalism for South African unions?”

Speech to metalworkers: Anarcho-syndicalism for South African unions today? Lucien van der Walt Lightly edited transcript from Lucien van der Walt’s discussion at 1st National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) Political School, September 2013. From his debate with Solly Mapaila, 2nd deputy GS of the South African Communist Party (SACP) on anarcho-syndicalist versus … Continue reading [SPEECH]: Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Speech to Metalworkers: anarcho-syndicalism for South African unions?” →

[ANALYSIS]: Byrne, McGregor & van der Walt, 2011, “Why May Day Matters: History with anarchist roots”

Sian Byrne, Warren McGregor &Lucien van der Walt, 2011, "Why May Day Matters: History with anarchist roots," South African Labour Bulletin,  Volume 35, Number 1, pp. 51-53 PDF is online here Why May Day matters History with anarchist roots When we celebrate May Day we seldom know or reflect on why it is a holiday in … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Byrne, McGregor & van der Walt, 2011, “Why May Day Matters: History with anarchist roots” →

[DOCUMENT]: Lucien van der Walt, 2001, “Reorganising the APF Media Committee: Report”

From an old file, when I was an Anti-Privatisation Forum (APF) media officer.  The APF was founded in 2000; by this stage (early 2001), with rapid growth, the "core" that met Mondays at COSATU House (myself included) were pretty stretched. The unions that helped found the APF (NEHAWU via Wits University Crisis  Committee;  SAMWU and … Continue reading [DOCUMENT]: Lucien van der Walt, 2001, “Reorganising the APF Media Committee: Report” →

[ANALYSIS] [UNPUBLISHED]: Lucien van der Walt, ca. 1999, “Background to Zimbabwe and Structural Adjustment” (6)

The text below was written in 1999 for a proposed c0-authored (but never published, for various reasons) booklet in the Khanya College "Economic Literacy Series." It examines Zimbabwe in the 1980s and 1990s, stressing the class struggles and rebellions faced by the ZANU-PF regime of Robert Mugabe, and the regime's (these days, well known) pattern … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] [UNPUBLISHED]: Lucien van der Walt, ca. 1999, “Background to Zimbabwe and Structural Adjustment” (6) →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “What Anarchism and Syndicalism Offer the South African Left”

Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “What Anarchism and Syndicalism Offer the South African Left,” special supplement on Marxism & renewal in the 21st Century – new challenges, new thinking, in Amandla, no. 21, pp. 9-11 This paper was published first in a special supplement on Marxism & renewal in the 21st Century – new challenges, … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “What Anarchism and Syndicalism Offer the South African Left” →