Lucien van der Walt, 2004, "Perspectives on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004," Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, volume 8 number 1, pp. 1, 14-16. Correct PDF is here This short analysis, looking at both the South African anarchist / syndicalist movement of the 1880s-1920s, and the revived movement that emerged from the 1990s, examined … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2004, “Perspectives on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004”
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.
[CHAPTER]: Lucien van der Walt, 2008, “Zyklen der Akkumulation – Zyklen des Klassenkampfes. Zum Verhältnis von Apartheid, Arbeit und Befreiung in Südafrika”
Lucien van der Walt, 2008, "Zyklen der Akkumulation - Zyklen des Klassenkampfes. Zum Verhältnis von Apartheid, Arbeit und Befreiung in Südafrika", Holger Marcks and Matthias Seiffert (Hg.), Die großen Streiks: Episoden aus dem Klassenkampf, Unrast-Bücher der Kritik, Münster, pp. 160-164. PDF is here.
[JOURNAL + comments]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “Trade Unions in Zimbabwe: For Democracy, Against Neo-Liberalism” (4)
Lucien van der Walt, 1998, "Trade Unions in Zimbabwe: For Democracy, Against Neo-Liberalism," Capital and Class, volume 22, number 3, pp. 85-117 Get the PDF here. This paper, written around 1997 and published in 1998, provided an overview of the Zimbabwe labour movement, locating it in the country's larger political economy and history. In general, … Continue reading [JOURNAL + comments]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “Trade Unions in Zimbabwe: For Democracy, Against Neo-Liberalism” (4)
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1999, “Trade Unions in Zimbabwe” (3)
Lucien van der Walt, May 1999, "Trade Unions in Zimbabwe," Labour Movements: Research Committee (RC) 44 Newsletter, International Sociological Association, p. 8 By early 1999, it was clear that the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) and its allies in the struggle against the repressive and corrupt ZANU-PF regime of Zimbabwe, as well as against … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1999, “Trade Unions in Zimbabwe” (3)
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1999, “Victory for Zimbabwean Workers?” (2)
Lucien van der Walt, December 1998, "Victory for Zimbabwean Workers?," South African Labour Bulletin, volume 22, number 6, pp. 89-90. Following from an earlier analysis (here) of the rise of the unions and other working class and peasant forces in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s, this piece examined a major - but contradictory - victory … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1999, “Victory for Zimbabwean Workers?” (2)
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “‘This is Class Warfare’: the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe”
Lucien van der Walt, October 1998, "'This is Class Warfare': the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe," South African Labour Bulletin, volume 22, number 5, pp. 85-90. This was one of a number of pieces I wrote on popular struggles - often led by trade unions - in Zimbabwe. At that time, neo-liberal Structural Adjustment, high … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1998, “‘This is Class Warfare’: the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe”
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Against the Bourgeois University: Fighting neo-liberalism in South African higher education”
This is the English-language original of Lucien van der Walt, November 2000, "Contre l'Universite Bourgeoise: combattons le neoliberalisme dans l'enseignement superieur Sud Africain," Le Combat Syndicaliste, p. 13, which is here Against the Bourgeois University: Fighting neo-liberalism in South African higher education Lucien van der Walt Bikisha Media Collective Johannesburg Since early 2000, libertarian … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Against the Bourgeois University: Fighting neo-liberalism in South African higher education”
[TRANSLATION]: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Contre l’Universite Bourgeoise: combattons le neoliberalisme dans l’enseignement superieur Sud Africain”
This article, written during the struggle against the neo-liberal, union-busting "Wits 2001" programme at the University of the Witwatersrand, appeared in the November 2000 issue of Le Combat Syndicaliste, published by the CNT-Vignolles (and who translated it, too) Lucien van der Walt, November 2000, "Contre l'Universite Bourgeoise: combattons le neoliberalisme dans l'enseignement superieur Sud Africain," … Continue reading [TRANSLATION]: Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Contre l’Universite Bourgeoise: combattons le neoliberalisme dans l’enseignement superieur Sud Africain”
[WORKSHOPS]: Workshops, education and notes from the Workers’ Library & Museum that was…
Notes and posters from the Workers' Library & Museum that was... Lucien van der Walt, April 2013 From around 1998 into around 2003, I was involved in coordinating the Workers Education Workshops at the Workers Library and Museum (WLM) in Johannesburg; I was also vice chair for quite a while, and coordinated the WLM's Workers … Continue reading [WORKSHOPS]: Workshops, education and notes from the Workers’ Library & Museum that was…
[CHAPTER]: Lucien van der Walt, 2009, “Labour in South Africa: a sleeping giant?”, in Immanuel Ness, Amy Offner and Chris Sturr, (eds.), ‘Real World Labor,’ Dollars and Sense Collective, Boston
Lucien van der Walt, 2009, "Labour in South Africa: a sleeping giant?", in Immanuel Ness, Amy Offner and Chris Sturr, (eds.), Real World Labor, Dollars and Sense Collective, Boston, pp. 105-112. This chapter provides a brief overview of the union movement in South Africa, black and white, its achievements and its challenges.This includes a discussion … Continue reading [CHAPTER]: Lucien van der Walt, 2009, “Labour in South Africa: a sleeping giant?”, in Immanuel Ness, Amy Offner and Chris Sturr, (eds.), ‘Real World Labor,’ Dollars and Sense Collective, Boston
[ANALYSIS]: Tina Sizovuka& Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Alternative Needed to Nationalisation, Privatisation: Industries like South Africa’s ESKOM show Working Class deserves better”
Tina Sizovuka& Lucien van der Walt, 2013, "Alternative Needed to Nationalisation, Privatisation: Industries like South Africa’s ESKOM show Working Class deserves better," Zabalaza: a journal of southern African revolutionary anarchism, no. 13 pp. 20-28 get the paginated PDF here. “To assure the labourers that they will be able to establish socialism … [through] government machinery, … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Tina Sizovuka& Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Alternative Needed to Nationalisation, Privatisation: Industries like South Africa’s ESKOM show Working Class deserves better”
[CHAPTER]: James Pendlebury& Lucien van der Walt, 2006, “Neoliberalism, Bureaucracy and Resistance at Wits University”
James Pendlebury and Lucien van der Walt, 2006, "Neoliberalism, Bureaucracy and Resistance at Wits University," in Richard Pithouse (ed), Asinamali: university struggles in post-apartheid South Africa, Africa World Press: Trenton, NJ/ Asmara, Eritrea, pp.79-92. Get the PDF here. This paper outlines the neo-liberal restructuring of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg (Wits) in the … Continue reading [CHAPTER]: James Pendlebury& Lucien van der Walt, 2006, “Neoliberalism, Bureaucracy and Resistance at Wits University”
[RESEARCH REPORT]: Adler, Bezuidenhout, Buhlungu, Kenny, Omar, Ruiters, van der Walt, 2000, “The Wits University Support Services Review – A Critique”
The Wits University Support Services Review: a Critique (2000), paper prepared by Glenn Adler, Andries Bezuidenhout, Sakhela Buhlungu, Bridget Kenny, Rachmat Omar, Greg Ruiters, and Lucien van der Walt. Presented to the Council of the University of the Witwatersrand in June 2000. Get the PDF here. The document above was collectively produced by the … Continue reading [RESEARCH REPORT]: Adler, Bezuidenhout, Buhlungu, Kenny, Omar, Ruiters, van der Walt, 2000, “The Wits University Support Services Review – A Critique”
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Who Rules South Africa? An Anarchist/Syndicalist Analysis of the ANC, the Post-Apartheid Elite Pact and the Political Implications”
Lucien van der Walt, 2013, "Who Rules South Africa? An anarchist/syndicalist analysis of the ANC,the post-apartheid elite pact and the political implications," Zabalaza: a journal of southern African revolutionary anarchism, no. 13, pp. 7-13 get the paginated PDF here. 2012 is the centenary of the African National Congress (ANC). The party that started out as … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2013, “Who Rules South Africa? An Anarchist/Syndicalist Analysis of the ANC, the Post-Apartheid Elite Pact and the Political Implications”
[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2009, “Saving Jobs in South Africa in the Crunch: ‘Engage’ or Revolt? Learning from workers in Korea and France”
This article first appeared at the international anarchist-communist, platformist and especifista news and discussion website anarkismo.net in April 2009, right here. The financial crisis was kicking in hard, neo-liberal restructuring was accelerating, and and the question was being sharply posed: how should the unions, and the working class more generally, respond? The orthodox approach in … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2009, “Saving Jobs in South Africa in the Crunch: ‘Engage’ or Revolt? Learning from workers in Korea and France”
Lucien van der Walt 