Heike Becker - search results

'The revolution won't be televised' is a film that tells the story of the ‘Y’en a marre’ movement that rose up in Senegal against octogenarian President Abdoulaye Wade’s attempt to clinch to power in 2012. Y’en a marre translates as ‘enough is enough’, or – even more to the point – ‘we’re fed up’. The movement was started by musicians Thiat and Kilifeu, and some of their friends.

Tokunbo Oke commends Revolutionary Movements in Africa, a book which delves into the continent's radical movements. The work highlights the historical struggle of activists, and the ongoing fight against capitalism and imperialism. The volume dispels myths about African Marxism, showcases significant resistance movements, and underscores the importance of revolutionary ideas. Oke praises a volume that examines the history of revolutionary change in Africa and unpicks the ideas and projects that have attempted to transform the continent.

Reporting on the struggle for food and survival in Nigeria, trade unionist Gbenga Komolafe states that the repression and starvation of the poor must end. While in South Africa, Ashley Fataar argues for a wealth tax on the rich to feed workers and the poor.

Exposing the illusion of the green economy, Simone Claar argues that while the idea of greening capitalism might provide a clear conscience to regions in the North for addressing the ecological crisis, it perpetuates the exploitative relationship between the North and South. Through the green economy framework capitalism, development, and imperialism are ‘green-washed’ as capital invests in new environmental fields like renewable energy or clean cooking. Such a strategy will only ‘greenwash’ capitalism in Africa, leaving its exploitative and destructive nature unchanged.

Carin Runciman reports on a recent workshop that focused on protests in South Africa. Based on research conducted by the Research Chair in Social Change she shows that these protests are not just about service delivery, but amount to a rebellion of the poor. However, to what extent can these protests break from the politics of the ANC and form a progressive movement for social change?