Category: South Africa

Pieces that have South Africa as a central focus – but are often relevant to labour and the left more generally

[RESEARCH REPORT]: van der Walt, Bolsmann, Johnson, Martin, 2002, “Globalisation and the Outsourced University in South Africa: The restructuring of the support services in public sector universities in South Africa, 1994-2001”

: Lucien van der Walt, Chris Bolsmann, Bernadette Johnson, and Lindsey Martin, 2002, Globalisation and the Outsourced University in South Africa: The restructuring of the support services in public sector universities in South Africa, 1994-2001, final report for the Centre for Higher Education Transformation (CHET), UNISA, research undertaken by the Sociology of Work Unit (SWOP), … Continue reading [RESEARCH REPORT]: van der Walt, Bolsmann, Johnson, Martin, 2002, “Globalisation and the Outsourced University in South Africa: The restructuring of the support services in public sector universities in South Africa, 1994-2001” →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “Renewal and crisis in South African labour today: Towards transformation or stagnation, bureaucracy or self-activity?”

Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “Renewal and Crisis in South African Labour Today: Towards Transformation or Stagnation, Bureaucracy or Self-Activity?” Pambazuka News, volume 436, number 1, online here . eNCA/Sethembiso Lucien van der Walt Jan 26, 2017 South African unions are large but fragmented, substantial but politically weak. They represent different political traditions and all … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2017, “Renewal and crisis in South African labour today: Towards transformation or stagnation, bureaucracy or self-activity?” →

[Briefing for UPM]: Lucien van der Walt, “One Year after the 2015 Grahamstown Riots against Foreign Traders: Attacks Hurt Working Class and Poor, Only Capitalists and Politicians Benefit”

Lucien van der Walt, 2016, "One Year After the 2015 Grahamstown Riots against Foreign Traders: Attacks Hurt Working Class and Poor, Only Capitalists and Politicians Benefit, Anarkismo, 15 December. Text commissioned by Unemployed People’s Movement, Grahamstown, October 2015. Edited version, November 2016, published December 2016. A year ago, starting 20 October 2015, around 75 small shops were … Continue reading [Briefing for UPM]: Lucien van der Walt, “One Year after the 2015 Grahamstown Riots against Foreign Traders: Attacks Hurt Working Class and Poor, Only Capitalists and Politicians Benefit” →

[WORKSHOP]: With Oupa Lehulere at Global Labour University school – plenary on “Racial Capitalism” & “Workers’ Movements” in South Africa

With Oupa Lehulere on plenary on "Racial Capitalism" & "Workers' Movements" in South Africa. At Global Labour University’s almuni Summer School for unionists, 2 October 2016, Bronkhorstspruit.              

[LEAFLET] “Stop Bundy! Stop Retrenchments!,” 2000 (for Lesedi Socialist Study Group)

Before the battle for #insourcing was the battle to stop outsourcing ... I wrote this leaflet for the Lesedi Socialist Study Group in 2000. The LSSG was a broad left group at the University of the Witwatersrand. We were from various radical traditions, ranging from Marxism-Leninism to Trotskyism to anarchism/ syndicalism, and had a background … Continue reading [LEAFLET] “Stop Bundy! Stop Retrenchments!,” 2000 (for Lesedi Socialist Study Group) →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1996, “What Anarchist-Syndicalists Believe: Understanding and Defeating Racism”

Lucien van der Walt, 1996, “What Anarchist-Syndicalists Believe: Understanding and Defeating Racism,” Workers Solidarity, volume 2, number 2, third quarter 1996. Written for an progressive magazine in South Africa, this article argued that racism needed to be understood as an immense social evil, closely linked to the development of capitalism and the modern state -- … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 1996, “What Anarchist-Syndicalists Believe: Understanding and Defeating Racism” →

[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Fighting the Privatisation at Wits” (university restructuring)

An older article, published in the Revolutionary Socialist of Cape Town. Lucien van der Walt, 2000," “Fighting the Privatisation at Wits,” Revolutionary Socialist, July/August 2000, p. 13. Get the PDF here.   Lucien van der Walt, 2000," “Fighting the Privatisation at Wits,” Revolutionary Socialist, July/ August 2000, p. 13. GUEST COLUMN: Mural at Wits: 1976 … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2000, “Fighting the Privatisation at Wits” (university restructuring) →

[DOCUMENT] Poster from 1996 general strike around labour law

Poster from the 1996 general strike called by COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) to try push the new Labour Relations Act (then Bill) in a more labour-friendly direction. A key point of contention was a clause allowing bosses the right to lock-out, which was being pushed by the old National Party (NP), the … Continue reading [DOCUMENT] Poster from 1996 general strike around labour law →

[DOCUMENT] South African Sociological Association condemns “Wits 2001” outsourcing

In 2000, I was part of a campaign against outsourcing and neo-liberalism at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). As part of the Concerned Academics Group, one of several structures I was active in, I lobbied for the South African Sociological Association (SASA) to issue a statement firmly condemning the "Wits 2001" programme. SASA agreed, … Continue reading [DOCUMENT] South African Sociological Association condemns “Wits 2001” outsourcing →

[ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2004, “Reflections on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004”, ‘Perspectives on Anarchist Theory’

Lucien van der Walt, 2004, “Reflections on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004”, Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, Institute for Anarchist Studies (United States), volume 8, number 1, pp. 1, 13-16. Get the PDF here. Text below.   *The following article by lAS [Institute for Anarchist Studies] grant recipient Lucien van der Walt explores the … Continue reading [ANALYSIS]: Lucien van der Walt, 2004, “Reflections on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004”, ‘Perspectives on Anarchist Theory’ →

[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2005/2006, “The Influence of the IWW in Southern Africa,” in ‘Anarcho-Syndicalist Review (ASR)’

Lucien van der Walt, 2005/2006, "The Influence of the IWW in Southern Africa," Anarcho-Syndicalist Review (ASR), numbers 42/3, pp. 31-38. Get the PDF online here.  Text below.   The IWW had an important impact on South Africa and its surrounding region in the early twentieth century. The ideas and model of the IWW were deeply … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2005/2006, “The Influence of the IWW in Southern Africa,” in ‘Anarcho-Syndicalist Review (ASR)’ →

[ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2015, “Bill Andrews and South Africa’s Revolutionary Syndicalists”, in ‘Tokologo’

Lucien van der Walt, 2015, "Bill Andrews and South Africa’s Revolutionary Syndicalists", Tokologo, numbers 5/6, p. 24. Get the PDF here. Text below.   "Bill Andrews and South Africa's Revolutionary Syndicalists" by LUCIEN VAN DER WALT Tokologo, 2015, numbers 5/6, p. 24 If W. H. "Bill" Andrews (1870- 1950) is remembered today, it is usually … Continue reading [ANALYSIS] Lucien van der Walt, 2015, “Bill Andrews and South Africa’s Revolutionary Syndicalists”, in ‘Tokologo’ →

[REFERENCE] Lucien van der Walt, 2012, “Thibedi, T.W. (1888-1960)” in ‘Dictionary of African Biography’

Lucien van der Walt, 2012, "Thibedi, T.W. (1888-1960)", Henry Louis Gates and Emmanuel Akyeampong (eds.), Dictionary of African Biography, volume 6, Oxford University Press, pp. 13-14. Get the PDF here.