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Featuring an Introduction by Director Raj Patel Surplus Radical Bookshop and The Institute for African Alternatives invite you to a screening of the recently released film ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper,’ directed by internationally renowned food policy expert, author, and social justice activist, Raj Patel and Zak Piper. The film…

Featuring an Introduction by Director Bobby Rodwell Surplus Radical Bookshop and The Institute for African Alternatives invite you to a screening of the film ‘Word Down the Line’ by Bobby Rodwell ‘Word Down The Line’ is a poetic reflection of South Africa’s journey to democracy, told through the voices of…

The United Democratic Front was launched on 20 August 1983 in Cape Town, Dr Sidney Luckett revisits its legacy.…

Where to for Parliament? One year after Zondo ‘very little has happened’ By Moira Levy “Where was Parliament? ”That’s what Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asked at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. “Where indeed, and where is it now?”. That’s what it said on the invitation to the first…

Calendar of events in Africa 1 March 2023 – 31 May 2023 The world has been shaken by the fierce fighting between the two rival military factions in Sudan, following failure, earlier in April, to sign a long- promised agreement naming a civilian government. Sudan fell under military rule after…

While tools for oversight are important, political will to fully use such tools is paramount Immediately after the release of the final report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, more commonly called the Zondo…

Land restitution in South Africa: Is there another way to achieve land justice? By Ben Cousins Simon’s Town was transformed by the apartheid policies that uprooted and expelled the entire population of ‘coloured’ and African families who had lived in the area for generations. BEN COUSINS presents the context for…

Caption: Bob Barigye, an environmental activist and Project Coordinator of conservation group Mother Nature, in Kampala, Uganda. Source: John Okot. “Enemies of the state”: Uganda targets climate activists in quiet crackdown By John Okot In December 2022, climate activist Bob Barigye, 34, found himself faced with a life-changing decision. The…

Letters to my Mother The Making of a Troublemaker Kumi Naidoo Publisher: Jacana Media: Johannesburg. 2022. R300 Review by Debby Bonnin Kumi Naidoo, an internationally recognised human rights and climate justice activist, was born in the Indian township of Chatsworth, Durban. His memoir primarily focuses on his early years of…

The UDF at 40: A commemoration with lessons and portents By Bruce Kadalie At the Institute for African Alternatives’ (IFAA’s) commemoration of 40 years since the launch of the United Democratic Front (UDF), struggle veterans on the panel shared more than their memories; they listened to young people in the…

Nehawu healthcare strike By Kudzai Mpofu and Simbarashe Tavuyanago In the light of the recent illegal Nehawu strike – which led to the deaths of four hospital patients – KUDZAI MPOFU and SIMBARASHE TAVUYANAGO propose amending the law to criminalise such actions, which could well result in the Nehawu leadership…

Unions and the UDF A look back at the lessons of the 1980s By Devan Pillay This article traces back to the roots of the tension between the democratic-socialist future promised by the UDF in the 1980s and the independent unions who warned of the dangers of nationalist politics where…

South Africa’s intelligence agency needs speedy reform – or it must be shut down By Jane Duncan South Africa’s civilian intelligence service, the State Security Agency, is a broken institution according to JANE DUNCAN. It is meant to provide intelligence to forewarn the country of national security threats, yet it…

On the path to renewal in 2023 By the New Agenda editorial collective The Institute for African Alternatives (IFAA) has been presented with a challenge over the future of its flagship journal, New Agenda. This has set off an internal process of reflection on how to rigorously maintain the journal’s…

“You will be glad to know that according to the analysts, the economic fundamentals are in place” by Zapiro Beyond the tipping point By Martin Nicol Economists debate the impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and whether lost production should be measured in billions or trillions of rands. Ordinary…