South Africa in Crisis: Race and Class Struggle in South Africa with Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, of SAFTU, South African Federation of Trade Unions. Former General Secretary of COSATU, Coalition of South African Trade Unions.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions(SAFTU) is the voice of the workers in the struggle for a socialist society. It was formed by the Metalworkers union, the largest union in South Africa and numerous other unions as an alternative to the Coalition of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) which defended the South African government's role in the Marikana massacre of 34 striking miners in August 2012. Cyril Ramaphosa who is currently the President of South Africa was a member of the Board of the Lonmin which owned the Marikana mine.
We asked SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi about the history of the South African freedom struggle which overthrew the Apartheid government but left in place the capitalist economic system , continued exploitation of the working class and economic inequality whose corruption have intensified under the successors to President Mandela. Under the current Ramaphosa administration new developments are reaching a crisis with mass unemployment, heightened inequality, and new proposals restricting the rights of unions and so called reforms of minimum wages . Protests by youth and workers are growing which led to the general strike in april.
To analyze these issues of race and class struggles in south Africa we welcome our guest Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, of SAFTU, South African Federation of Trade Unions
This was the first in a two part interview which will be concluded next week with our guest Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary, of SAFTU, South African Federation of Trade Unions talking about the growing opposition and fight back to the intensified class war in south Africa
Produced by Ken Nash and Mimi Rosenberg
please notify us if you plan to broadcast this program - knash@igc.org
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