From Liberation to Neoliberalism: Why Workers Must Develop a Class Analysis (1995–2025)
By Zwelinzima Vavi:
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Introduction: Why Class Consciousness Matters
Workers are constantly told that South Africa’s crisis is about personalities, factions, or “bad implementation.” This narrative is designed to confuse, divide, and depoliticise the working class.
In reality, what we face is the outcome of a 30-year class project — a deliberate shift away from the Freedom Charter and towards neoliberal capitalism.
To build real power, workers must understand when, how, and why this shift happened — and whose interests it served.
1. The First Turning Point: 1995 and Privatisation
In November 1995, the African National Congress, under Nelson Mandela, adopted privatisation as “a fundamental policy of the ANC.”
Th...