Portside

“Earth or Death!”  — Hugo Blanco (1934-2023)

What Russian leftists have to say about the almost coup

Nelson Mandela is deified everywhere. But typically missing is an account of his early years, when he insisted that Marxism be responsive to South African conditions.

South Africa has 12 official languages. The two most dominant are isiZulu and isiXhosa. While the Zulu and Xhosa people share a rich common history, they have also found themselves engaged in ethnic conflict and division, notably during urban wars between 1990 and 1994. A new book, Divided by the Word, examines this history – and how colonisers and African interpreters created the two distinct languages, entrenched by apartheid education.

Unrest spreads across the continent

Crisis deepens, struggle rises in France and Israel/Palestine

The fight for women's lives and liberation is everywhere and addresses everything!

From its foundation in the 1920s, the South African Communist Party took up the fight against racism as a central part of its political vision. The party’s heroic record in the anti-apartheid movement has now received the historical treatment it deserves.

Amilcar Cabral was assasinated 50 years ago. His influence stretched far beyond the Portuguese colonies, profoundly influencing the political struggle in South Africa, past and present.

Parties and movements in transition