Comme l’avait promis au sénat il y a quelques semaines, le toujours controversé Premier Ministre du Swaziland, Sibusiso Dlamini, l’État a déjà commencé à « dialoguer » avec les organisateurs et organisatrices du très craint, Soulèvement Swazi du 12 avril. [English] read full story / add a comment

The economic crisis in South Africa has seen inequalities, and the forced misery of the working class, grow. While the rich and politicians have continued to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth, workers and the poor have been forced to suffer. It is in this context that the majority of the leaders of the largest trade unions have, unfortunately, elected to once again place their faith in a social dialogue and partnerships with big business and the state. So while the state and bosses have been on the offensive against workers and the poor, union officials have been appealing to them to save jobs during the crisis. Not surprisingly, this strategy has largely failed. While union leaders and technocrats have been debating about the policies that should or should not be taken to overcome the crisis, bosses and the state have retrenched over 1 million workers in a bid to increase profits. It is, therefore, sheer folly for union leaders to believe that the state and bosses are interested in compromise – without being forced into it. As seen by their actions, the elite are only interested in maintaining their power, wealth and lifestyles by making the workers and the poor pay for the crisis. For the elite, social dialogue is simply a tool to tie the unions up and limit their real strength – direct action by members. In fact, even before the crisis, social dialogue had been a disaster for the unions contributing towards their bureaucratisation and having abysmal results in terms of them trying to influence the state away from its pro-rich macro-economic policies. read full story / add a comment

As the ever controversial Prime Minister of Swaziland, Sibusiso Dlamini, promised senate a few weeks ago, the state has already begun “talking” to the organisers of the much feared April 12 Swazi uprising.

The National Organizing Secretary of SWAYOCO, Mcolisi Ngcamphalala, was detained and later tortured by the police from Tuesday evening in Siphofaneni on suspicion that he was one of the organizers of the April 12 Swazi Uprising. [Français] read full story / add a comment

The Times Sunday reported yesterday (27 March 2011) that members of the Operational Support Service Unit (OSSU), the paramilitary police wing, are training to counter riots. ‘In other countries, when the army goes astray or plots to overthrow the government, the riot police squad is the one expected to contain the soldiers.’ read full story / add a comment

I sindacati sud-africani, confederati nel COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions), forte di 2 milioni di iscritti, hanno messo a punto una visione politica coerente che rompe con il neoliberismo. Il fatto è notevole - ma è sufficiente? Quanto vitale e desiderabile è questa visione proprio mentre l'era neoliberista barcolla? E c'è un'alternativa? [English] read full story / add a comment

The campaign around the Zimbabwe activists has borne some results. The good news is that yesterday 39 of the 45 activists had their charges dropped by the Magistrate court. The Magistrate judge (Mutevedzi) said the arrest of the 45 people was “a dragnet arrest by the police who didn’t verify or attach criminal conduct to each of the accused persons”. The judge also stated that there “glaring weaknesses” in the State case and that it wasn’t “clear what the rest of the accused persons did to deserve to be arrested and charged with treason”. read full story / add a comment

عندما أحرق محمد البوعزيزي نفسه كان يشعل في نفس الوقت و دون أن يدرك موجة من الانتفاضات و الثورات الشعبية التي انتشرت كالنار في الهشيم في شمال أفريقيا و الشرق الأوسط , و التي أمكن الشعور بحرارتها بعيدا جدا في زيمبابوي , حيث اعتقل يوم السبت 19 فبراير شباط 46 ناشط منهم طلاب , عمال و نقابيون في هراري . لقد اعتقلوا حسب وثائق الشرطة بتهمة التخطيط لثورة على النمط المصري للإطاحة بروبرت موغابي , الموجود في السلطة منذ عام 1980 , في اجتماع نوقش فيه سقوط حسني مبارك و الأحداث في شمال أفريقيا و الشرق الأوسط . المعتقلون , الذين يمثلون فدرالية نقابات زيمبابوي ZCTU و اتحاد الطلاب الوطني في زيمبابوي ZNSU و المنظمة الاشتراكية الأممية ISO , كانوا قد أنهوا للتو مشاهدة برنامج وثائقي أخباري عن الانتفاضة في مصر و قد وجدوا هناك , حسب المدعين العاميين للدولة , بغرض "تنظيم , و وضع إستراتيجية , و تنفيذ الإطاحة بالحكومة الدستورية لزيمبابوي ... على الطريقة المصرية" . read full story / add a comment

Quan Mohammed Bouazizi es va calar foc, sense voler va desencadenar una onada d’aixecaments i revoltes populars que s’ha estès com la pólvora per tot el nord d’Àfrica i Orient Mitjà. El calor pot sentir-se en llocs tan distants com Zimbabwe, on el dissabte 19 febrer 46 activistes a favor de la democràcia, entre ells estudiants, treballadors i sindicalistes van ser arrestats en la seva capital Harare. Segons la policia, van ser arrestats per tramar una revolta a l’estil d’Egipte per enderrocar a Robert Mugabe, que ha estat en el poder des de 1980, en una reunió per discutir la caiguda de Hosni Mubarak i els esdeveniments en el nord d’Àfrica i Orient Mitjà . Els arrestats, que pertanyen a la Federació de Sindicats de Zimbabwe (ZCTU), la Unió Nacional d’Estudiants de Zimbabwe (ZNSU) i l’Organització Socialista Internacional (ISO), acabaven de veure un documental sobre l’aixecament a Egipte i, d’acord amb els fiscals de l’Estat, parlaven de "organitzar, elaborar estratègies i acabar amb el govern constitucional de Zimbabwe … el camí d’Egipte".

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When Mohammed Bouazizi set himself alight he unwittingly ignited a wave of popular uprisings and rebellions that have spread like wildfire across North Africa and the Middle East, the heat of which can be felt as far afield as Zimbabwe where, on Saturday 19th February, 46 pro-democracy activists including students, workers and trade unionists were arrested in Harare. According to police documents they were arrested for plotting an Egypt-style revolt to overthrow Robert Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, at a meeting to discuss the fall of Hosni Mubarak and events in North Africa and the Middle East. The arrested, who represent the Zimbabwean Federation of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZNSU) and the International Socialist Organisation (ISO), had just watched documentary news footage on the uprising in Egypt and, according to state prosecutors, were there to "organise, strategise and implement the removal of the constitutional government of Zimbabwe ... the Egyptian way". [Castellano] [Dansk] [Italiano] [العربية ] [Català] read full story / add a comment

Quando in Tunisia Mohammed Bouazizi si è dato fuoco ha inconsapevolmente innescato un'ondata di rivolte popolari e di ribellioni che si sono propagate come un incendio in tutto il Nord Africa ed in Medio Oriente, sprigionando un'energia che si è sentita fino allo Zimbabwe dove, sabato 19 febbraio, 46 attivisti democratici, tra cui studenti, lavoratori ed attivisti sindacali sono stati arrestati ad Harare, durante un meeting per discutere della caduta di Hosni Mubarak e dei fatti in Nord Africa ed in Medio Oriente... [English] [Castellano] [Dansk] read full story / add a comment

Cuando Mohammed Bouazizi se prendió fuego, sin querer desató una ola de levantamientos y rebeliones populares que se ha extendido como un reguero de pólvora por todo el norte de África y Oriente Medio, cuyo calor puede sentirse en lugares tan distantes como Zimbabwe, donde, el sábado 19 de febrero, 46 activistas a favor de la democracia, entre ellos estudiantes, trabajadores y sindicalistas fueron arrestados en su capital Harare. Según la policía, fueron arrestados por tramar una rebelión al estilo de Egipto para derrocar a Robert Mugabe, quien ha estado en el poder desde 1980, en una reunión para discutir la caída de Hosni Mubarak y los acontecimientos en el norte de África y Oriente Medio. Los arrestados, que pertenecen a la Federación de Sindicatos de Zimbabwe (ZCTU), la Unión Nacional de Estudiantes de Zimbabwe (ZNSU) y la Organización Socialista Internacional (ISO), acababan de ver un documental sobre el levantamiento en Egipto y, de acuerdo a los fiscales del Estado, hablaban de "organizar, elaborar estrategias y acabar con el gobierno constitucional de Zimbabwe ... el camino de Egipto ".
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Da Mohammed Bouazizi tændte ild til sig selv, antændte han uforvarende en bølge af folkelige opstande og oprør, der har spredt sig som en steppebrand hen over Nordafrika og Mellemøsten, hvis varme kan føles så langt væk som i Zimbabwe hvor 46 demokrati-aktivister – heriblandt studerende, arbejdere og fagforeningsfolk – d.19. februar blev anholdt i Harare. Ifølge politidokumenter er de blevet anholdt for ved et møde, hvor Hosni Mubaraks fald og begivenhederne i Nordafrika og Mellemøsten blev diskuteret, at planlægge et Egypten-inspireret oprør med henblik på at vælte Robert Mugabe, som har været ved magten siden 1980. De anholdte, der repræsenterer Den Zimbabwiske Sammenslutning af Fagforeninger (ZCTU), Zimbabwes Nationale Studentersammenslutning (ZNSU) og Den Internationale Socialistiske Organisation (ISO), havde lige set dokumentar-optagelser om opstanden i Egypten og var – ifølge statsanklageren – samlet for at ”organisere, planlægge og implementere fjernelsen af Zimbabwes forfatningsmæssige regering … med egyptiske metoder”.
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From 20 to 23 January 2011, working class and revolutionary militants from throughout South Africa, including a ZACF delegation, gathered in Johannesburg for the Conference of the Democratic Left (CDL). The gathering ended in the launch of the Democratic Left Front (DLF) as a loose alliance of organisations and individuals in struggle.

In explaining our relationship to the DLF, we will here summarise our reservations, while explaining why they are outweighed by the genuine achievements of the CDL. The reservations cover three main areas: attitudes towards the state and elections; leadership structures; and the DLF programme and demands. (We are also less than enthusiastic about some new terms that have become popular in the CDL and DLF, such as “eco-socialism”; but this is largely a matter of language, which we will not discuss in detail here.) read full story / add a comment

Un gruppo di attivisti, che si era riunito in privato per dibattere le recenti insurrezioni in Nord Africa e il Medio Oriente, è stato arrestato durante un'operazione della polizia. Sono attualmente in stato di fermo, senza accuse, e ci sono giunti voci che alcuni membri del gruppo sono sottoposti a gravi aggressioni fisiche da parte dei loro aguzzini. [English] read full story / add a comment

Activists gathered in Harare on the 19th February in a closed meeting to discuss the recent uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, were arrested after a planned police raid. Currently they are being held without charge and reports indicate that key members of the gathering are being subjected to physical assault by their captors. [Italiano] [Ελληνικά] read full story / add a comment

On the 19Th February , a leading member of the International Socialist Organisation of Zimbabwe, Munyaradzi Gwisai and 51 others, including students and workers were arrested in Harare during a unpublicised meeting held to discuss revolution in the Middle East. They are still being held and will have to be charged today if they are to be held in detention any further. It is believed they will be charged for conspiring against the state and number of them have been beaten physically by their police interrogators. read full story / add a comment

The rebellion of the poor has been spreading from town to town, from squatter camp to squatter camp, since 2004. Last week it arrived in Grahamstown.

There is no third force, political party or communist academic behind our struggle. It is oppression at the hands of the African National Congress that has driven us into the rebellion of the poor. We are in rebellion because we are being forced to live without dignity, safety or hope. read full story / add a comment

52 people representing students, union members and workers were arrested on Saturday afternoon at 4:30pm and are being detained at Harare Central prison. They were discussing the events in the middle east and the fall of Egyptian dictator Mubarak and had just shown a film of the uprising. read full story / add a comment

The poor are steadily getting angrier and they are preparing for something. They have relatively little to lose, except the hope that drives their movements, informed predominantly by desire for justice for those who are systematically dehumanized in our country today. These movements include: Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM), the Poor Peoples’ Alliance, the Landless Peoples’ Movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Mandela Park Backyarders and Sikhula Sonke. And, in my hometown— Grahamstown—the Unemployed Peoples’ Movement (UPM) and the Woman’s Social Forum (WSF) are represented. read full story / add a comment

South African unions, centred on the 2 million-strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), have consistently articulated a policy vision that breaks with crude neo-liberalism. This is remarkable – but is it enough? Just how viable and desirable is this vision, particularly as the neo-liberal era lurches into a serious slump? And is there an alternative? [Italiano] read full story / add a comment