‘Burn it down!’: Materialising intersectional solidarities in the architecture of the South African Embassy during the London Poll Tax Riot, March 1990

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gavin Brown
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Working Class ◽  
South African ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
The West ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Metropolitan Police ◽  
Trafalgar Square ◽  
Poll Tax

This paper offers a new way of conceptualising how intersectional solidarities are actualised. It recounts and theorises an outbreak of radical internationalism, when working class struggles in Britain and South Africa were unexpectedly linked. It examines how intersectional solidarity was materialised through a process of coming together against the architectural fabric of the South African Embassy and considers the interwoven temporalities that enabled this action to occur. On 31 March 1990, nearly a quarter of a million people demonstrated in London against the Poll Tax that was due to take effect in England and Wales the following day. On the day, the Metropolitan Police lost control of an already enraged crowd and provoked a large scale riot that engulfed the West End of London for several hours. In the midst of the riot, during a short retreat by the police, protesters took the opportunity to attack the South African Embassy in Trafalgar Square – many windows were broken and an attempt was made to set the building alight. Drawing on interviews with former anti-apartheid protesters who were present on that day (and who had concluded a four-year long Non-Stop Picket of the embassy a month earlier), this paper explores and analyses their memories of that unexpected moment when their previously symbolic call to ‘burn it down’ was (almost) materialised. In doing so, it contributes new ways of conceptualising the spatiality and temporality of intersectional solidarity.

scholarly journals The South African nursing council: 50 years of professional self-regulation

Curationis ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Kotzé
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Council Meeting ◽  
The South ◽  
The West ◽  
Professional Self

Self-regulation of the professions of nursing and midwifery became a reality in South Africa on 8 November 1944, when the first council meeting of the South African Nursing Council took place in Pretoria. Most appropriately, the opening speaker on this occasion was Mr Harry Gordon Lawrence, the Minister of Welfare and Demobilization, who had piloted the Nursing Act, No.45 of 1944, through Parliament. Exactly 50 years later, on 8 November 1994 the Council held its 108th meeting, this time in its own building, with a magnificent view of the venue where that historic first meeting took place - the west wing of the Union buildings.

scholarly journals Disaster management and humanitarian logistics – A South African perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilna L. Bean ◽  
Nadia M. Viljoen ◽  
Hans W. Ittmann ◽  
Elza Kekana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Humanitarian Logistics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Management Context ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
The Impact

Disasters are becoming an unavoidable part of everyday life throughout the world, including South Africa. Even though South Africa is not a country affected by large-scale disasters such as earthquakes, the impact of disasters in South Africa is aggravated significantly by the vulnerability of people living in informal settlements. Humanitarian logistics, as a ‘new’ sub-field in the supply chain management context, has developed significantly recently to assist in disaster situations. This paper provides an overview of the South African humanitarian logistics context. Even though humanitarian logistics plays a critical role in the aftermath of disasters, it extends far beyond events that can typically be classified as ‘disasters’. Therefore the implication of the South African humanitarian logistics context on future research and collaboration opportunities in South African humanitarian logistics is also discussed. Finally, two recent case studies in the South African humanitarian logistics environment are discussed.

scholarly journals Potentiality of the South African Construction SMME Contractors Globalising within and Beyond the SADC Construction Markets

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-49
Author(s):  
Iruka Chijindu Anugwo ◽  
Winston Shakantu ◽  
Ibrahim Saidu ◽  
Anita Adamu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Construction Market ◽  
Potential Capacity

The African continent stands on the verge of developmental take-off, most especially the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region being one of the emerging economies. The 15 years SADC strategic plan for implementation of infrastructure and construction development is believed to stimulate economic, social and technological advancement; and increase the competitiveness and sustainability amongst the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) and large contractors within the region and globe. The major problem is that most of the SMME contractors within South Africa, which have the potential to grow into large construction companies and, to further internationalise their businesses lacks the global readiness. Thus, the global thrusts have generated the concepts of globalizing business strategy and operations, as one of the drivers of competitiveness of many countries and organisations. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of the South African construction SMME /contractor's capability for globalizing within and beyond the SADC construction market. This study was conducted among the construction SMME contractors in Port Elizabeth, the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.  The qualitative research method was adopted an in-depth interviewing technique with 34 contractors (civil engineering and general building contractors) within the cidb grade 4 to 6 contractors. These SMMEs are being perceived to have the potential capacity to become large-scale construction organisations shortly. Findings revealed that only two SMME contractors are operating internationally while other contracting firms are currently sustainable and competitive in the domestic market, and however, few are planning to go global. The study also revealed that most of the SMME contractors are reluctant to amplify their potential capabilities, and needed the readiness to develop international business strategies that would enable them to penetrate and participate in the SADC region and global construction market. The study recommends that the SA construction contractors both SMME and large contractors should strive earnestly to harness their potential capacity towards globalizing their businesses, strategies and operations frameworks that would foster their global competitiveness.  Keywords: Business Strategies, Capability, Globalisation, SMME Contractors, South Africa.

scholarly journals Saving for Tomorrow: Does the Level of Financial Literacy in the South African Working Class Matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matwale Reon Matemane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Working Class ◽  
South African ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
The South ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Black South Africans ◽  
Apartheid Regime

Financial literacy has been identified in previous studies as an area that has not been researched extensively in South Africa. This is particularly true for the working class of black South Africans, who have been previously disadvantaged and were excluded from the mainstream economy and financial services under the apartheid regime. Lower savings and over-indebtedness in this group can be attributed to lower levels of financial literacy. The aim of this study is to examine financial literacy of black South Africans with a commerce tertiary qualification working in Pretoria and Johannesburg, based on descriptive research and structured questionnaires. In total, 171 participants who work in different sectors of the economy and who live in Gauteng were surveyed. The study found that although people with a commerce tertiary qualification are more financially literate than those with non-commerce tertiary qualification, black South Africans nevertheless are less financially literate than their coloured, Indian and white counterparts. Additionally, financial literacy is a significant predictor of individuals’ saving habits.

AFRICANISING APARTHEID: IDENTITY, IDEOLOGY, AND STATE-BUILDING IN POST-INDEPENDENCE AFRICA

2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMIE MILLER
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
State Building ◽  
The South ◽  
Top Down ◽  
The West ◽  
State Identity ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Divide And Rule

AbstractBetween 1968 and 1975, the leaders of white South Africa reached out to independent African leaders. Scholars have alternately seen these counterintuitive campaigns as driven by a quest for regional economic hegemony, divide-and-rule realpolitik, or a desire to ingratiate the regime with the West. This article instead argues that the South African government's outreach was intended to energise a top-down recalibration of the ideology of Afrikaner nationalism, as the regime endeavoured to detach its apartheid programme from notions of colonialist racial supremacy, and instead reach across the colour line and lay an equal claim to the power and protection of African nationalism. These diplomatic manoeuvrings, therefore, serve as a prism through which to understand important shifts in state identity, ideological renewal, and the adoption of new state-building models.

scholarly journals Die herlewing van sekulêre spiritualiteit in Europa en die implikasie daarvan vir die NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobus Kok
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Dutch Reformed ◽  
The South ◽  
The West ◽  
Reformed Church ◽  
Religious Landscape ◽  
The Church ◽  
Secular Spirituality ◽  
Dutch Reformed Church

The revival of secular spirituality in Europe and its implication for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa. This article critically reflected on the insights of David Tacey in which he notes that there is currently a revival in post-secular spirituality in the West, but that its deep religious roots are lacking. What would be the implication of these trends for the South African religious landscape where traditional mainstream churches such as the Dutch Reformed Church are shrinking significantly? People often say yes to God, but no to the church. Some in the church may totally renounce God. What lessons could be learned by the South African mainstream churches and theology if these trends in the West were taken into account? In this article a critical literature review (desk research) was done and the study was structured as follows: In the first place, the implication of superdiversity, supermobility and the reality of a post-COVID-19 consciousness was discussed. Next we engaged in research by scholars in which it was shown that our time, at least in the West, is characterised by existential anxiety and uncertainty. Thirdly, we engaged in the insights of David Tacey in which he also argued the fact that the uncertainty of the time in which we live, often causes people to return to spirituality. Finally, the implication of these trends for the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa was reflected on.Contribution: This research makes a contribution to the nature and scope of the journal, in that it finds that the rise in secular spirituality, in the context of anxiety and uncertainty in a post-COVID-19 world, provides an opportunity for the Dutch Reformed Church to find meaning and significance.

scholarly journals The effects of trade sanctions and disinvestment by foreign countries and its impact on the South African economy

1987 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-132
Author(s):  
N. Bhana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Precious Metals ◽  
The South ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Total Trade ◽  
Trade Sanctions ◽  
Economic Concentration

In the event of total trade sanctions South Africa should have no difficulty in countering the ban on mineral exports, especially precious metals. Furthermore, earnings from precious metals are likely to increase in the short term followed by a gradual deterioration of these industries as cheaper substitutes are developed and producers from other countries make inroads into markets vacated by South African producers. In the manufacturing sector South Africa may benefit in the short term through import replacement and a drive towards self-sufficiency. However, in the long term factors such as scarcity of capital, technological obsolescence, disadvantages inherent in the lack of international co-operation and competition, and misallocation of resources would indicate that the cost of evading sanctions is too high. A disinvestment of portfolio investments is likely to cause a major decline in the prices of South African mining shares. A large scale disinvestment by multinational companies and foreign disinvestment of shares are likely to cause restructuring and increased economic concentration in the South African economy.

Foreigners' Rights to Work and Fair Labour Practices in South Africa: A Review of the South African Labour Legislation and Jurisprudence

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Mangu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
South African ◽  
Bill Of Rights ◽  
The South ◽  
Legislation And Jurisprudence ◽  
Foreign Nationals ◽  
Lay Persons ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Labour Legislation

After several decades of apartheid rule, which denied human rights to the majority of the population on the ground of race and came to be regarded as a crime against humanity, South Africa adopted its first democratic Constitution in the early 1990s. The 1996 Constitution, which succeeded the 1993 interim Constitution, is considered one of the most progressive in the world. In its founding provisions, it states that South Africa is a democratic state founded on human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The Constitution enshrines fundamental human rights in a justiciable Bill of Rights as a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, in the eyes of a number of politicians, officials and lay-persons, the rights in the Bill of Rights accrue to South African citizens only. Xenophobia, which has been rampant since the end of apartheid, seems to support the idea that foreigners should not enjoy these rights. Foreign nationals have often been accused of posing a threat to South African citizens with regard to employment opportunities. In light of the South African legislation and jurisprudence, this article affirms the position of the South African labour law that foreign nationals are indeed protected by the Constitution and entitled to rights in the Bill of Rights, including the rights to work and fair labour practices.

The Engagement of Beneficiaries in Farm Governance of Restituted Land through the Communal Property Association Model: The Ideal Versus the Reality of Beneficiary Farms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokoko Piet Sebola ◽  
Malemela Angelinah Mamabolo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
The South ◽  
African Government ◽  
Communal Property ◽  
Farm Ownership ◽  
Land Restitution ◽  
Communal Property Associations

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the engagement of farm beneficiaries in South Africa in the governance of restituted farms through communal property associations. The South African government has already spent millions of rands on land restitution to correct the imbalance of the past with regard to farm ownership by the African communities. Various methods of farm management to benefit the African society have been proposed, however, with little recorded success. This article argues that the South African post-apartheid government was so overwhelmed by political victory in 1994 that they introduced ambitious land reform policies that were based on ideal thinking rather than on a pragmatic approach to the South African situation. We used qualitative research methods to argue that the engagement of farm beneficiaries in farm management and governance through communal property associations is failing dismally. We conclude that a revisit of the communal property associations model is required in order to strengthen the position of beneficiaries and promote access to land by African communities for future benefit.

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