The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
7 Sep 2012
The Lonmin miners' strike has entered its 4th week with no end in sight. As links between the mining companies and the ANC are exposed, there is growing frustration about poverty and inequality in South Africa, and anger at the growing class divide. Al Jazeera's Inside Story asks, "Is there a new kind of apartheid in South Africa?"
Shulie Ghosh speaks to Anthea Jeffrey of the South African Institute of Race Relations, Adam Habib from the University of Johannesburg and Tony Dykes of Action for Southern Africa.
South Africa runs the risk of violence unless we deal with inequality, contends Habib. The top three executives at Lonmin earn as much as all the miners earn. Business is not innocent. It is as guilty as the ANC, and that lesson has to be understood by everybody if we are going to fix this problem, he argues.
© Al Jazeera.
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SA Economic Apartheid
As a very ordinary South African I am horrified by the greed of so many, whatever their colour or creed, captains of industry or politicians, who earn vast sums of money every month when so many people cannot feed their families. The greed is overwhelming. Who works that hard that they deserve to earn millions of rands each month or year? It is time we put a cap on the earnings of people, particularly public servants, politicians and heads of parastatals etc, but also to challenge the private sector. Shoprite/Checkers boasted of vast profits a couple of weeks ago - how can it be justified when so many cannot afford to eat properly? The cost of food in SA is higher than in some 1st world countries - it is simply appalling.
