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In the government’s medium term budget policy statement new finance minister Pravin Gordhan highlights South Africa’s shocking reality that just 42% of the population aged between 15 and 64 are in some form of employment. This compares unfavourably with countries such as Brazil and China, where about two-thirds of the adult population work. In the former homelands, the picture is even bleaker, with fewer than 30% of the adult population working. According to the Labour Force Survey, almost half of young Africans have never worked.
Egyptian writer and activist Nawal El Saadawi is widely acclaimed in Arab countries and in many other parts of the world for her outspoken views. Her writings explore the situation of women in Egyptian and Arab societies. She is also an outspoken political commentator, and has endured prison and the banning of her works in Egypt as a result of her critical views. Amandla! editor Brian Ashley conducted an exclusive interview with Ms El Saadawi.
Another December. Another political congress. Place: the now famous town of Polokwane. From 9 to 13 December, close to 1000 grassroots communist delegates will debate the role and positioning of the South African Community Party (SACP) in the new economic and political situation. As the biggest political gathering of communists in South Africa, the SACP’s 2nd Special National Congress will be held at the same University of Limpopo where the historic Polokwane conference of the ANC took place only two years ago. What are the key challenges facing the congress?
History may well record the year 2009 as a time in which South Africa was forced to confront the inadequacies of an economic system which divides rich from poor. South African society is more unequal than Brazil, our HIV/AIDS infection rate is higher than Malawi (that country has a confirmed HIV infection rate of 12% while South Africa’s hovers above 20%) and most disturbingly, newly elected cabinet ministers purchase vehicles in a recession year, which exceed R1 million, and as workers lose their jobs by the thousands, the General Secretary of the largest federation in the country, COSATU, accepts a salary increase of 100%. Ronnie Kasrils, reflects on a South African society edging closer to the corrupting influence of absolute power. 
