S’bu Zikode of Abahlali baseMjondolo, the shack dwellers’ movement of South Africa, talks about the attacks on their occupations, the nature of state response and the possibilities of resistance at a social and political level.

The management has agreed to a wage hike, an education bursary for employees and to set up a task force to review contracts given to private companies. It will also defer retrenchments it had earlier announced

Melita Ngcobo, the chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo’s Vusimuzi branch in the Tembisa township, was assaulted and arrested while protesting the illegal demolition of shacks, which had been barred by a court

After offering a 8% salary hike and the setting up of a team to look into private contracts, the management suddenly declared it didn’t have the funds for the former and mandate for the latter

Around 700 refugees had been camping outside the UNHCR offices in Pretoria since October 8, following a wave of xenophobic violence in the country in September

Over 3,000 employees of South Africa Airways are on strike since November 15 demanding an 8% hike in salaries, the scrapping of retrenchment plans and the insourcing of employees. Workers from the airline’s subsidiaries are likely to join the strike too

Trade unions argue that the summit only raises false hopes of economic revival and demanded that the government, instead, take concrete steps like doubling the corporate tax, setting capital controls and increasing public and social expenditure

After a spate of xenophobic violence in September, refugees in Cape Town were conducting a sit-in demonstration outside the UNHCR office when they were attacked and forced to leave on October 30

The “rescue plan” for Eskom unveiled by the South African minister for public enterprises proposes the unbundling of the state-owned company and increases reliance on private Independent Power Producers, which the unions claim, is the root cause of Eskom’s financial troubles.

Over 700 workers represented by NUMSA have been on strike since October 3 demanding the university treat them on a par with permanent employees in terms of pay and medical benefits

NUMSA which is representing the workers will approach the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration following the failure of talks with employers, who are demanding the in lieu of a salary hike, the union not raise any issues for three years

Workers of Air Chefs, the catering firm that is a subsidiary of South African Airlines, were set to go on strike on October 7 under the banner of NUMSA after their employer withdrew anniversary bonuses