The 1989/90 SATS strike is regarded as one of the most bitter and bloody disputes in South African labour history. It was also one of the most complex disputes, deserving of a thorough analysis. This paper is a chronological description of the dispute, making preliminary observations. It is written from the perspective of the legal advisor to the trade union and, therefore, both a lawyer and a participant.
This paper reflects on David Philips' book An Unofficial War,1990, which was written in an attempt to expose the extent and the impact of the war – to lift a corner of the carpet under which this unsightly violence has been swept.
This paper focuses on what business can do to both reduce violence and limit the psychological devastation that results from it.
The last few years of South African psychology have seen increasing debate about the link between psychology, politics and apartheid. The debate has primarily revolved around whether one can practice psychology and avoid politics. The purpose of this paper is not to further engage in this debate but to look beyond it, and isolate those factors which may inhibit the transformation of psychology and mental health in a future post-apartheid South Africa, particularly if a policy of nationalisation is adopted.
The author notes that developing an understanding of a rapist is central to the formulation of a science of rape. By accomplishing the latter, better preventive measures can be devised so as to significantly limit the incidence of rape in our society. This chapter, which seeks to do so, is based on interviews with nine rapists who all lived in Riverlea, a "coloured" township on the south-western border of Johannesburg. Five of the rapists had been convicted of rape. Four only admitted to rape in the course of the interview.
This paper attempts to analyse the kinds of responses by unions, community organisations, lawyers, and academics to the phenomenon of group violence which occurs in response to state violence in South Africa.