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Obituaries

Eddie Webster: an obituary

It is with great sadness that ROAPE marks the passing of Eddie Webster last week. Eddie was a giant of both South African labour sociology and global labour studies. Alex Beresford and Mattia Dessi offer some brief reflections on his influence on them as international researchers of labour politics.

John Saul – a complete revolutionary socialist

In a celebration of the life of John Saul, his friend and comrade Peter Lawrence remembers a tireless revolutionary, activist, and writer. One of the founding editors of ROAPE, Saul worked in Tanzania and Mozambique, where he analysed the struggles and possibilities for real independence and socialism. Later, he was a leading member and founder of Southern African liberation organisations in Canada. Lawrence marks a remarkable life and contribution to socialist politics.

Helmi Sharawy, the African – a celebration, a life

Habib Ayeb and Abeer Abazeed celebrate the life of Helmi Sharawy. Born in Egypt in 1935, Sharawy saw Africa as one with all its own coherence. He spent his life campaigning for African unity, with empirical knowledge of Africa he was a committed anti-racist and anti-colonial scholar and activist. The idea of two Africa-s was a colonial and racist lie – the continent was one and must unite.

Truth in a world of lies: the life of Nawal El-Saadawi

On 21 March 2021, Nawal El-Saadawi, Egyptian-born Marxist and long-time activist for women’s rights, died at the age of 89. Described as a feminist, author, activist, physician and psychiatrist, she was also known as Egypt's most radical feminist. David Seddon celebrates her life.

John Loxley: Radical economist and militant activist

John Loxley was a radical economist and a political activist. In a series of short eulogies by Issa Shivji, John Saul and Peter Lawrence, John is remembered as an extremely skilled and articulate radical economist and as an equally articulate and committed radical activist.