{Podcast interprété en français} Anglo American Plc est une multinationale minière, premier producteur mondial de platinium et un important producteur de diamants, de nickel et de charbon.

Anglo American Plc is a multinational mining company. They are the world’s largest producer of platinum, and a major producer of diamonds, nickel and coal. 

Historically, they supported parties that took part in white only politics. They implemented themselves in a very harsh form of capitalism, paying out extremely low wages, and utilizing migrant labor, destroying local subsistence agriculture. 

Apartheid allowed mining companies like Anglo to make profit off the back of a massively exploited working class. Since the fall of Apartheid, Anglo moved its headquarters to London, but is still implementing several mining projects around and in South Africa.

We asked an activist living in a mining affected community what she has to said about Anglo America methods and practices. Those testimonies highlights how Anglo hasn’t change its essence – its fundamental DNA – since the fall of Apartheid. It was, and still is, narrowly focus on profit maximization, no matter the cost to the rights of workers and communities.

This episode is the second part of the series focusing on the march organized by SAMWU on February 1st 2020. The march was organised in protest against the job creation and employment practices of the City of Cape Town. 

This time we hear from the people on the ground about how the specific job creation programs run by the government affect them. They tell us why they are problematic and what needs to be done about them.

In this episode people speak to us about the issues that they face in their daily lives. They explain how they survive and why it is that their daily struggles are forcing them to take to the streets. It illustrates the present situation of working class people, their living conditions and their struggle for a better life.

For this new episode - "Never Again India” - we interviewed people in Cape Town who were marching in solidarity with Indian minorities that are oppressed by the Indian government. Especially, two new laws called Nation Register of Citizenship (NRC) and Citizenship Amandment Act (CAA) are seen as intentionally discriminatory against Muslims.

“Rural womens’ struggles in Southern Africa” was made during the Rural Womens’ Asssembly (RWA) 10th anniversary celebrations. 400 women from rural areas in 10 countries across Southern Africa came together in Johannesburg from November 26th to 28th. They shared knowledge and skills, targeting issues such as climate emergencies, fighting patriarchy, agro-ecology and  small scale farming.

Launches in 2016, the Southern Africa Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power is a network aimed at catalysing a movement that puts an end to corporate impunity. After having hosted the Permanent Peoples Tribunal, showing countless evidence of TNCs large scale abuses, we are now working on pushing for communities Right to Say No to be enforced.

"The Campaign to say no has gone far  in our country. We have been teaching our women to be brave." Bernadette from RWA Zambia

Most of the work done by the Southern Africa Campaign, can not be covered in 30 minutes. The bulk of the work done to build peoples resistance is done by organisations linked to the Campaign in different countries in the region. Stay tuned for more updates on the work and victories in different countries.

This episode deals with a peak in the crisis of refugees. After recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners a group of 200 to 300 refugees decided to occupy the building in which the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is located. They are asking to be assisted to leave South Africa because of xenophobic violence in the country. A peaceful sit-in was forcefully ended by the police on Wednesday 30th 2019. Notwithstanding, the refugees struggle continues and is far from over.

Tito's budget for the rich deals with Tito Mbowenis Mid-term Budget not improving the working class situation; making it even worse. The unbundling of Eskom will increase the price of electricity, the ongoing neoliberalist approach will contribute to mass unemployment and low wages. Ultimately, the mid-term budget will restrain the access to common goods for the working class.

“Decent Housing Now!” addresses backyarders living conditions and social struggle. People used to live in shacks and are demonstrating for decent houses in the CBD.

Interviewees:

- Lesego Matshomo from Singabalapha

Articles about the occupation and the march:

https://www.facebook.com/Singabalapha/posts/121709469235961?__tn__=K-R

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/occupiers-of-old-age-home-march-to-civic-centre-demand-housing-20191016

https://www.groundup.org.za/article/old-age-home-occupiers-march-civic-centre-demand-housing/

https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/squatters-march-over-being-evicted-from-arcadia-place-in-observatory-35122202

https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-argus/20191016/281543702689594

Singabalapha on facebook:

Jingle beat: Accuse by Alaska