The workers' movement in Africa

"Africa" in the media is generally synonymous with catastrophes, wars and permanent massacres, famine, incurable sicknesses, corrupt governments; in brief, endless absolute misery. The workers' movement is assumed either not to have existed at all, or to have been a mere appendage of the "anti-colonial" struggle for "national liberation". This series of articles, concentrating particularly on Senegal and South Africa, aims to set the record straight.

Submitted by vicent on January 16, 2016

Comments

Alf

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Alf on May 12, 2016

Good to see this series being put up - they are from the ICC's International Review and the full collection can be found here: http://en.internationalism.org/series/1895. The next article will look at struggles in South Africa from Soweto in 1976 to the arrival of the ANC in power in 1993.

Schmoopie

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Schmoopie on May 12, 2016

I was searching on here for these articles a few days ago. Thanks for reposting them.

Schmoopie

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Schmoopie on May 12, 2016

What is needed dreadfully is a written history of African pre-history [of class struggle]. It may seem like an impossible task but some history can be gleaned from archeological records of ancient farming as well as from the work carried out into the origins of seeds. However, it is beyond my scope and there is no impulse along these lines coming from academia.

syndicalist

8 years 6 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on May 12, 2016

Look forward to reading Senegal 1968
I recall periodically in the 1970s/80s small groups
of Senegalese anarchists. If memory serves me correctly,
I saw small snipets of mention in "Freedom" and "Black Flag"
I'd suspect there must've been something in the francophone press at that time as well

baboon

7 years 9 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by baboon on February 21, 2017

Latest article from the ICC on the era between the mid-70's to the 90's; the high levels of class struggle and the "democratic/nationalist" weapon of the "new" trade unions and the ANC against the working class and for South African national capital.
http://en.internationalism.org/international-review/201702/14250/soweto-1976-anc-power-1993