Zabalaza 11 has a distinct local flavour to it as compared to our previous issue. This is partly as a result of South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which has dominated the socio-political landscape this last year. The excessive money spent by the state on preparations for the event (before and during) highlighted, once again, a complete disregard for the plight of the working poor and impoverished domestically and the stark reality of its anti-poor, pro-rich policies. Despite the tournament being ‘sold’ to the public as an economic opportunity not only for South Africans, but Africa as a whole, the major beneficiaries have been a small band of domestic and global economic and political elite.

Zabalaza 11 also focuses attention on the repression suffered by social movements based amongst some of the poorest in South Africa. In response to these attacks and subsequent arrests, the ZACF worked closely with the Poor People’s Alliance to create networks and actions of solidarity with those organisations.

Social movements have also gained and suffered at the hands of the South African judicial system recently. We focus attention on constitutional law and offer both a critique of the use of the state’s legal system by social movements as well as a way forward for embattled movements locally.

Our current issue also offers a perspective on the recent killing of the infamous right-wing racist and separatist, Eugene Terre’Blanche, as well as the prospects of further xenophobic attacks in South African townships.

We have published this journal amidst a huge and countrywide wave of public service strikes and actions for fairer and agreed-to wage packages. Regrettably, the final date for article submission for the journal had past. However, included herein is a critique of the largest South African federation and its socio-economic policy and politics.

Our journal is released within a global context of continued economic recession and expanded war. Despite being heralded as a peace-maker (and receiving an award for it), US president Barack Obama increased the size of troops and arms in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has also found it difficult to pass his central pieces of legislation, continues to support Israel’s repressive Zionist regime and its suppression of Palestinians, and has experienced a rapid decline in popularity, not only in the US, but also globally.

Zabalaza 11 was scheduled for released months ago. For this we apologise to both the reader and to the writer. The ZACF has met with challenges recently that have placed a huge strain on resources and tremendous pressure on remaining members of the collective. Therefore, some articles might appear slightly outdated. However, we feel that all the articles published offer important critical analysis and continue to be relevant.

On a happier note, we welcome articles from new writers. They are newer members of the ZACF and we look forward to many more contributions from them in future. We also look forward with great anticipation to the soon-to-be published Global Fire (the sister volume to 2009’s Black Flame: the Revolutionary Class Politics of Anarchism and Syndicalism).

Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front,
Johannesburg, September 2010