Skowhegan

The Johannesburg Central YCL meets tonight at SATAWU Offices, 13th floor, Old Mutual Building, 29 Kerk Street, between Harrison and Loveday Streets, Johannesburg, at 17h00 to discuss “Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism”, by V. I. Lenin. Next week at the same time and place they will discuss “The Prince”, by Machiavelli. If ever there was a book of politics made easy, this is it, enjoyed and famous for almost 500 years. See link below. In Skowhegan and in Westbrook, Maine, USA, workers are in struggle, in solidarity with South African workers, against a South African company that has exported its capital to that place. The company is trying to withdraw benefits and to introduce a two-tier contract of the kind rejected by the ANC NGC last July and subsequently by the French workers and students in mass action. See link. In South Africa, NUMSA members (metalworkers) are gearing up for their sectoral general strike next week, part of COSATU’s Jobs and Poverty campaign. Professor Sipho Seepe is the brother of the well-known journalist Jimmy Seepe, who according to the radio very unfortunately passed away yesterday. We who also inhabit the world of journalism, academia and politics feel his loss keenly and extend humble condolences to Prof. Seepe, whose article from yesterday’s Business Day on the “Native Club conference” happens today to be linked below. Raymond Suttner has written another letter to the Business Day. As an SACP member he enjoys the right to write what he likes and where he likes. But if others in the Party should write in response, it amounts to “silencing”, according to Suttner. The readers of the Business Day will surely notice this self-contradiction of Suttner’s. See link. The SACP and COSATU have both issued brief statements welcoming Jacob Zuma’s public apologies yesterday. See link. Click on these links: 1512, Machiavelli, The Prince (excerpts, 5131 words) Sappi workers demonstrate at Boston, USA HQ, USW (739 words) NUMSA pickets pave way for general strike next week (303 words) Not black and white at Native Club, Prof Sipho Seepe, B Day (1092 words) Raymond Suttner, Sacred Word, Business Day (199 words) SACP and COSATU Statements on Zuma apology (446 words)