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.

[SPECIAL ISSUE]: Devan Pillay, Lucien van der Walt (eds.), 2012, “Assessing the Politics of Organized Labour in Asia, Africa and Latin America at the Start of the 21st Century”

Labour, Capital and Society/ Travail, capital et société  Volume 44, number 2 http://www.lcs-tcs.com/current.html Devan Pillay and Lucien van der Walt (eds.), "Assessing the Politics of Organized Labour in Asia, Africa and Latin America at the Start of the 21st Century" CONTACT: Lucien van der Walt l.vanderwalt@ru.ac.za with enquiries, or regarding copies. Paper by Pillay and … Continue reading [SPECIAL ISSUE]: Devan Pillay, Lucien van der Walt (eds.), 2012, “Assessing the Politics of Organized Labour in Asia, Africa and Latin America at the Start of the 21st Century” →

[TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, 2012, “Anarchism’s historical role: a global view”

Freedom • February 2012 • pp.12-14 Original PDF (with great images, also page numbers) is here. FEATURE Anarchism’s historical role: a global view Lucien van der Walt, co-author of Black Flame: the revolutionary class politics of anarchism and syndicalism [For more on Black Flame at wikipedia: click here]. Freedom bookshop was proud to host a … Continue reading [TALK]: Lucien van der Walt, 2012, “Anarchism’s historical role: a global view” →

[REVIEW]: Lucien van der Walt, 2007, “Triumph and Tragedy of a South African Communist: Ray Simons, 1914-2004 – review of Ray Alexander Simons, 2004, ‘All my Life and All my Strength'”

van der Walt, Lucien, (2007), "Triumph and Tragedy of a South African Communist: Ray  Simons, 1914-2004 [review of Ray Alexander Simons, 2004, All my Life and All my Strength]," Khanya: a journal for activists, number 13 The previous link to the review went down. The PDF is now online here (mirrors here or here). The text … Continue reading [REVIEW]: Lucien van der Walt, 2007, “Triumph and Tragedy of a South African Communist: Ray Simons, 1914-2004 – review of Ray Alexander Simons, 2004, ‘All my Life and All my Strength'” →

[JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Counterpower, Participatory Democracy, Revolutionary Defence: debating Black Flame, revolutionary anarchism and historical Marxism”

Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Counterpower, Participatory Democracy, Revolutionary Defence: debating Black Flame, revolutionary anarchism and historical Marxism," International Socialism: a quarterly journal of socialist theory, no. 130 , pp. 193-207. PDF from hard copy edition, with page numbers, is online here. The published online version is reproduced below, from here. For a much-expanded version of … Continue reading [JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Counterpower, Participatory Democracy, Revolutionary Defence: debating Black Flame, revolutionary anarchism and historical Marxism” →

[JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Anarchism and Syndicalism in an African Port City: the revolutionary traditions of Cape Town’s multiracial working class, 1904-1931”

Lucien van der Walt, 2011, "Anarchism and Syndicalism in an African Port City: the revolutionary traditions of Cape Town's multiracial working class, 1904-1931," Labor History, Volume 52, Issue 2, pp. 137-171 PDF online here. The Cape Town docks in 1919, site of the joint strike between the syndicalist Industrial Workers of Africa (IWA) and the … Continue reading [JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Anarchism and Syndicalism in an African Port City: the revolutionary traditions of Cape Town’s multiracial working class, 1904-1931” →

[JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Negro e Vermelho: anarquismo, sindicalismo revolucionário e pessoas de cor na África Meridional nas décadas de 1880-1920”

Negro e Vermelho: anarquismo, sindicalismo revolucionário e pessoas de cor na África Meridional nas décadas de 1880-1920 Lucien van der Walt Mundos del Trabalho, volume 2, number 4 (Brazil), pp. 174-218. PDF is here (and mirrored here) Cena de 1918 do protesto contra em Witwatersrand, na qual Cetiwe e Kraai foram figuras chave. Resumo Este … Continue reading [JOURNAL]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “Negro e Vermelho: anarquismo, sindicalismo revolucionário e pessoas de cor na África Meridional nas décadas de 1880-1920” →

[JOURNAL]: Peter Cole & Lucien van der Walt , 2011, “Crossing the Color Lines, Crossing the Continents: Comparing the Racial Politics of the IWW in South Africa and the United States, 1905-1925”

Peter Cole & Lucien van der Walt "Crossing the Color Lines, Crossing the Continents: Comparing the Racial  Politics of the IWW in South Africa and the United States, 1905-1925" Safundi: The Journal of South African and American Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2011, 69-96   PDF is available here. ABSTRACT In two of the … Continue reading [JOURNAL]: Peter Cole & Lucien van der Walt , 2011, “Crossing the Color Lines, Crossing the Continents: Comparing the Racial Politics of the IWW in South Africa and the United States, 1905-1925” →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “[Dunbar, Thibedi, Sigamoney]: A Look at Three figures from the IWW in South Africa”

Lucien van der Walt, 2011, "International Labor Struggles: A Look At Three Figures From The IWW In South Africa," Industrial Worker, May 2011, no. 1735, p. 15 Get the PDF here     A Look At Three Figures From The IWW In South Africa Lucien van der Walt The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW, … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, “[Dunbar, Thibedi, Sigamoney]: A Look at Three figures from the IWW in South Africa” →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt and Ian Bekker, 2011, “Build a Better Workers’ Movement: learning from South Africa’s 2010 mass strike”

Build a Better Workers’ Movement: learning from South Africa’s 2010 mass strike Lucien van der Walt and Ian Bekker Zabalaza: a journal of Southern African revolutionary anarchism, no. 12, 2011, pp. 11-15 PDF online here   The biggest single strike since the 1994 parliamentary transition in South Africa showed the unions’ power. It won some … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt and Ian Bekker, 2011, “Build a Better Workers’ Movement: learning from South Africa’s 2010 mass strike” →

[DISCUSSION]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, Detailed reply to ‘International Socialism’: debating power and revolution in anarchism, ‘Black Flame,’ and historical Marxism

Detailed reply to International Socialism: debating power and revolution in anarchism, Black Flame and historical Marxism [1]   7 April 2011   PDF is online here Lucien van der Walt, Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, l.vanderwalt@ru.ac.za   **This paper substantially expands arguments I published as “Counterpower, Participatory Democracy, Revolutionary Defence: debating Black … Continue reading [DISCUSSION]: Lucien van der Walt, 2011, Detailed reply to ‘International Socialism’: debating power and revolution in anarchism, ‘Black Flame,’ and historical Marxism →

[TALK]: Remarks to the 2010 NUMSA/ Wits graduates, Monday 6 December 2010

Professor Lucien van der WaltRemarks to the 2010 NUMSA/ Wits union graduatesMonday 6 December 2010Hofmeyer House, University of the WitwatersrandThank you. I will say a few words, if I may. In the first place, let me say a few ‘thank you’s:- To the comrades who attended the course studied hard and achieved; if you learnt … Continue reading [TALK]: Remarks to the 2010 NUMSA/ Wits graduates, Monday 6 December 2010 →