Tokologo Newsletter

What are your rights?

/ griffin36

Know your rights- protect whistleblowersby Nobuhle Dube (TAAC)

Although the Constitution protects the rights of whistle-blowers, and we have laws that are meant to promote their rights (such as the Protected Disclosures Act), in reality there is not much protection for whistle-blowers and such people face huge challenges.

For example, people who “blow the whistle” on their employers often lose their jobs (even though the law says you cannot be fired for whistle-blowing). Sometimes the corrupt person will say the whistle-blower has broken the law and hire a lawyer to threaten them, or take them to court. Sometimes whistleblowers have even been hurt or killed!

South Africa’s whistleblowers are being targeted, intimidated and silenced.

We must stand with them!

Cosatu used to pump millions of Rands to support the ANC’s election campaigns

/ griffin36

Cosatu used to pump millions of rands to support the ANC’s election campaignsby Mzee (TAAC)

At the Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (Cosatu) media briefing on Thursday 21 November 2013, its president Sdumo Dlamini told a journalist that the federation is “yet to decide” whether or not to contribute financially toward the ANC’s 2014 election campaign. The briefing followed a Cosatu central executive committee (CEC) meeting.

But according to the Cosatu treasurer’s report, Cosatu budgeted R8 million for the 2014 ANC election campaign!

Continue reading →

Khutsong Community fights Gangsters

/ griffin36
Khutsong Community fights Gangsters

Khutsong anti-crime protests late 2013

by Mzee (TAAC)

Members of the community of Khutsong chanted struggle songs, and demonstrated outside the Oberholzer Magistrate’s Court on the 14 January 2014. They were in support of fellow community members arrested following an infamous incident of mob justice that occurred in Khutsong in 2013. This mob justice led to the death of five people believed to be gangsters, and of one traditional healer to the gangsters. The gangsters had terrorised the community.

The community members were arrested in 2013, but the court hearing was remanded to 14 January 2014 for the bail applications, which were granted. Jack Magagabe, Willy Jongilanga, Andrew Langa, Happy Leyakane and Metsela Kgosane are being charged on twelve counts, including public violence, destruction of public property, murder and arson. The accused are being represented by a pro-bono (free) advocate.

More than 85 flying squad police cars were deployed in Khutsong in late 2013 on a “peace-keeping” mission. Many cases of police brutality were reported by the community. The township of Khutsong is not happy with how the police have been handling matters so far.

The Khutsong Tragedy

/ griffin36

The Khutsong Tragedyby Lucky Sumione (TAAC, ZACF)

Residents in Khutsong location were neglected by the police many times, and that is why they ended up taking the law into their own hands in late 2013.

It all started when gang members killed some people, and cut off their body parts. Some then killed each other too. When the gang members attended the funeral of their fellow members, the police escorted them to the graveyard. But the gang members managed to rob people of their belongings on the way to the graveyard — in front of the police. The South African Police Services (SAPS) is failing us.

Soon after the incidents, many police were deployed to raid the location. But they arrested many innocent people for nothing, yet the gangsters remained free.

In South Africa the police are among the ones doing crime. As we have seen in the past, our senior police officials have been facing corruption charges, including two former National Commissioners, Jackie Selebi and Bheki Cele. And look what happened at Marikana, but the current police Commissioner Riah Phiyega is defending the acts of the police in the massacre.

The police shoot people, so it is clear that the police are against us. They are not here to defend us in our new so-called democracy.

Obituary of Ousi Lawrence Zitha

/ griffin36

Orbituary of Ousi Lawrence Zithaby Nobuhle Dube (TAAC)

Comrade Lawrence was born on 7 July 1969 in Kliptown before moving to Ceza in KwaZulu-Natal. He attended Ceza Primary and Nghunghunyone Secondary, matriculating in 1986 with exemption (excellent at that time).

He was employed by Nampak Polyfoil as a factory worker until 2006. He was an activist, and became involved with anarchism in 2011.

He passed away on 13 June 2013, suffering from chronic kidney failure. He is survived by his mother Johanna Zitha, two brothers (Jaby and Bongane Zitha) and his sister (Gladness Zitha), not forgetting his nieces and nephews.

May he rest in peace.

Download Issue #3 of the Newsletter of the Tokologo African Anarchist Collective

/ griffin36

Tokologo #3 cover

Click above picture to download Issue #3 of Tokologo,
the Newsletter of the Tokologo African Anarchist Collective

Editorial

Welcome to issue 3 of “Tokologo,” produced by members of the Tokologo African Anarchist Collective, based in Gauteng, South Africa. Our members come from Johannesburg, Khutsong, Sebokeng, and Soweto; we are committed to the fight for the full freedom of the working class and poor, in South Africa and abroad. We do not want privatisation (capitalist ownership), we do not want nationalisation (state ownership), we want self-management and socialisation (community/ worker ownership), of land and all other productive resources.

Continue reading →

The Story of the Korean Anarchists and the Anarchist Revolution in Manchuria, 1929-1931

/ Sifuna Zonke

Korean anarchistsThe Korean anarchist movement wanted to build an independent self-governing anarchist society, a cooperative system of the masses of the Korean people. They wanted to take civilisation from the capitalist class, and return it to the popular classes. By doing so, the capitalist and colonial society that existed in Korea (as elsewhere in Africa and Asia and east Europe) would be replaced with a new society. This new society would be based on the principles of freedom and equality, that guarantee the independent self-rule of the producing classes: the working class and the peasantry.

Continue reading →

The Story of the Makhnovists and the Anarchist Revolution in the Ukraine, 1918-1921

/ Sifuna Zonke

nestor makhnoThe mass “Makhnovist” (anarchist) movement emerged in 1917 in Ukraine, a colonial country in East Europe that was until then divided between the Russian and Austrian (or Austro-Hungarian) Empires. The Makhnovists made an anarchist revolution. The anarchists were a central force in the 1917-1921 Ukrainian War of Independence.

They fought for decolonisation through anarchist revolution, meaning the independent Ukraine should be reconstructed on anarchist lines: self-management and participatory democracy, equality not hierarchy and domination, collectively-owned property, and the abolition of the class system, capitalism and the state. They were called “Makhnovists,” after the leading Ukrainian anarchist militant, Nestor Makhno. He came from a poor peasant family, had been a factory worker, and former political prisoner.

Continue reading →

Activists Demand End to Misappropriation of Funds and Wasteful Expenditure: Khutsong’s Corrupt Municipality

/ Sifuna Zonke

by Mzee
(Tokologo African Anarchist Collective)

khutsong

Once we stop thinking as individuals and start thinking as a working class group, change will become possible.

Our country’s conditions have gotten worse and worse in many ways. There is corruption, inequality and limited freedom for the masses. Someone has to stand up and say “Enough is enough! We need better education, more jobs and people-driven development plans.”

We are calling for change now!

Continue reading →