> Excellent article, Patrick. Is there no militancy left in the ANC? I
> thought that COSATU was taking a stand on AIDs. Is there any good news
> at all?
There's some evidence (Chatsworth protests, some campaigns like the TAC and Jubilee 2000) that a significant layer of people who take political action independently of the ANC structures is emerging. Two weeks ago, much of Khayalitsha Site C (a large informal settlement) had its water cut off - at the same time, many of the local SANCO (ANC-aligned civic association) activists are still defending the necessity of government austerity politicies. This is making people pretty pissed.
'Official' politics continues to filter processes of resistance - certain targets (e.g. local university rectors, white capitalists) are legitimate, others aren't. I think its encouraging that some communities are coming together outside the boundaries of 'official politics'.
Not much to cheer about, but there is at least a little good news.
Peter -- Peter van Heusden <pvh at egenetics.com> NOTE: I do not speak for my employer, Electric Genetics "Criticism has torn up the imaginary flowers from the chain not so that man shall wear the unadorned, bleak chain but so that he will shake off the chain and pluck the living flower." - Karl Marx, 1844