Category Archives: patronage
Raymond Suttner, Response to comments on my article in the Mail and Guardian of 27 September 2013
I recently published an article analysing the degeneration of the ANC led tripartite alliance. Continue reading
Carol Paton, What kind of federation will emerge from the Vavi fracas?
Raymond Suttner on disintegration of the ANC/SACP/COSATU alliance
Nomboniso Gasa, The sting is in Vavi’s choice of words
Glenn Ashton, Failure to feed our people: South Africa’s lacklustre food security policy
Barry Bateman, Guptagate 27.0: Immigration laws? What immigration laws?
This story may seem a limited irregularity in the current South African political landscape, but it illustrates the sense of impunity that the Gupta family appear to believe they hold in the light of their close ties to the president (Number one)
Empowerment not enrichment (Business Day editorial)
Carol Paton, A wall of silence over methods behind BEE
Gauteng police boss appointment reversed on day of announcement
The announced appointment and withdrawal of the appointment of the Gauteng police commissioner within hours in one day, Continue reading
Raymond Suttner: Government and tripartite alliance ‘no pitch’ at Marikana memorial
From the first days after the Marikana massacre Continue reading
Sisonke Msimang, Dear corruption watch. What about the victim?
This article by Sisonke Msimang asks why Corruption Watch did no more than ‘censure’ Zwelinzima Vavi Continue reading
Raymond Suttner, Power and sexual encounters in the work place
The recent rape allegations against Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretaty of COSATU has led to a range of arguments, which obscure the character of the sexual encounter, Continue reading
Rebecca Davis, Of Good report. sugar daddies and Vavi
While reviewing the unbanning of a film previously banned as provocative, the author relates some of the issues raised with regard to a relationship of unequal power to the recent allegation of rape against Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of COSATU. The allegation was withdrawn in an internal grievance process of COSATU. But even if one accepts that that ends the question of rape, which is doubtful, Vavi admitted to having a sexual encounter with a woman who was an employee in COSATU and thus dependent on him for her employment and any possible promotion. Hence this was an unequal encounter and raises questions about the character of consent, if it is given. This cannot be reduced to whether Vavi is unfaithful to his wife, nor to conspliracies to drive him out of COSATU. Davis briefly alludes to the way in which patriarchy plays itself out in the work place
Niki Moore,Anatomy of an assassination
Political assassinations are becoming a fairly routine part of political life in a number of provinces and many of the victims are alleged whistleblowers exposing corruption in the provision of housing and other basic rights. It is part of a broader subversion of constitutionalism and widespread resort to violence to implement private goals, albeit as leaders at various levels of the ANC.
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-07-31-kzn-anatomy-of-an-assassination/#.UfkmfhbH0y5
Raymond Suttner: Arundhati Roy on the buying off of Mandela and ANC by big capital: The engaged intellectual cannot empower people where there is no humility
According to Arundhati Roy, in part of a talk published on You Tube, 12 June 2013 when the struggle in South Africa ‘started ‘it was the Black consciousness (BC) people who were most powerful Continue reading
Editor’s note on Zuma cousin to coin it
Poverty reduction programme outsourced to Zuma cousin programmes to support small farmers
Raymond Suttner: Understanding contemporary South Africa requires careful study
No matter how shocking the evidence of corruption in contemporary South Africa may be Continue reading
Raymond Suttner 