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Counterpunch Weekend Edition October 19-21, 2012
Workers Massacred But Now Standing Stronger
by PATRICK BOND
How long can the amazing upsurge of class struggle in South Africa go
on? Living here 22 years, I’ve never witnessed such a period of vibrant,
explosive, but uncoordinated worker militancy. The latest news from the
labour front is that 12 000 workers were fired on October 12 by
Angloplats for a wildcat strike (it is likely most will be rehired in
coming days if an above-inflation wage settlement is reached), and
thousands of others are threatened by the mining houses. Jacob Zuma’s
government is panicking about lost elite legitimacy, calling on October
17 for a pay freeze for top private sector, parastatal and state
management to make a token gesture at addressing unemployment.
As the African National Congress (ANC), Congress of SA Trade Unions
(Cosatu) and SA Communist Party (SACP) continuously fail to put a lid on
the boiling labour pot, no one can offer sure predictions. To try,
nevertheless, to assess the durability of this surge of working class
revulsion, now two months after the August 16 Marikana Massacre of 34
wildcat-striking platinum mineworkers (plus 78 wounded), requires
sifting through the various ideological biases that have surfaced in the
commentariat, as well as first considering precedents. How much can the
balance of forces be shifted if the ruling elite overplay their hand –
and what organizational forms are needed to prevent divide-and-conquer
of the forces gathering from below?
full:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/10/19/how-the-marikana-movement-stunned-neoliberal-south-africa/
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