Zama Ndlovu: Lessons from China to the ANC — No one policy can be correct indefinitely
China’s decision on edtech firms demonstrates a desire to achieve equity even at the expense of profits, and there are lessons for South Africa
Communism
Bread and vaccines
Pharmaceutical companies stand to make billions from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the vaccines they have developed are the fruits of the collective labour of all of humanity.
Chris Hani’s political legacy
Chris Hani should not be made into an ideal type or used to settle political scores in the present
Jockeys without horses: Let’s all learn to be constructive
Although Benjamin Fogel denies the relevance of the South African Communist Party — and gets a few facts wrong — some of his points are correct
Frida Kahlo’s communist ideas revisited and rejected
The artist’s dedication to the communist party is obvious in paintings such as Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick
What Bolsonaro’s election victory means
Jair Bolsonaro is the embodiment of the most hardline faction military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for twenty-one years
Poland consigns communist-era monuments to dustbin of history
The country’s governing rightwing party is bent on removing all vestiges of the communist system as part of a series of controversial reforms
The journey into the heart of redness
A hundred years after the Russian Revolution, the politics of the left so easily slip into the right
How far Castro’s revolution had come
He outlived his great comrade and compañero Che Guevara by a little over 49 years, but now Fidel Castro is dead.
Ukraine says ‘nyet’ to Soviet bubbly in commie purge
Kiev’s new law on decommunisation draws critique.
Numsa’s Front: United only in opposition
Numsa’s umbrella entity, the United Front, not so united as delegates disagree on internal structure and what role the party should play in elections.
On your Marx, get set, go
The role and relevance of Marxism to a wide variety of issues – ranging from democracy to the environment – is explored in a new book.
Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown – 25 years on
As Beijing seeks to quell discussion of the 1989 event, three protesters and an expert on politics discuss how the massacre has shaped today’s China.
Was Madiba co-opted into communism?
Nelson Mandela may have served briefly on the SACP’s central committee, but that didn’t make him a member, writes Hugh Macmillan.
‘I am not a Marxist,’ Mandela said. Did he lie?
As questions are raised about Madiba’s SACP membership, the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Verne Harris finds answers in the former president’s words.
EFF to launch communism workshops
The Economic Freedom Fighters plan to launch educational workshops that teach governance using the theories of communists such as Marx and Lenin.
Communism or cake: Has the SACP sold out for its slice?
At the SACP’s 91st anniversary cake-cutting, a toast was raised to "the unity of our alliance". But no amount of frosting can cover up the cracks.
A small step away from socialism
Marxism is growing and so are the communists, but South Africa is not dancing with Marx just yet, writes Phillip de Wet.
Dictator Ceauşescu’s gifts go under the hammer
A bronze yak and an African leopard skin are among official presents given to the late dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu that will be auctioned off.
Cuba’s lesson for capitalism
The 1950s Cuban revolution led to an egalitarian society with many admirable features.
Primal urges stir in the Russian bear
A systematic crackdown by the government and a history of intolerance have failed to silence a flourishing, diverse civil society.
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‘Big Sister’ set to evict Communists from India’s City of Joy
Mamata Banerjee railed against the Marxist Left Front, which has ruled West Bengal, one of India’s most politically important states, since 1977.
Cuba: Old guard keep vice-like grip on power
Hopes of a major shake-up at a landmark Communist Party congress in Cuba have been dashed as the old guard kept a vice-like grip on power.
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Croninism: a guide for civil society
Contradictory statements reveal a communist successfully contained by the mainstream
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China kicks off National Day extravaganza
China formally kicked off mass celebrations of 60 years of communist rule on Thursday.
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China: Internet crackdown to be long-lasting
China sought on Friday to portray its internet crackdown as a campaign to protect youth from filth and nothing to do with stifling political dissent.
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Lessons in capitalism for N Korean teens
South Korea is doing its bit to prepare young defectors from the North for the huge changes they face living in a capitalist state.