This report seeks to set out some of the critical dynamics that inform the livelihood and coping strategies of poor people living in South Africa today. Specifically it seeks to explore the role played by social grants in a poor community from the perspectives of both grant recipients and people who are not eligible for any form of social assistance living in the same community.

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This study analyses land reform policies in Angola and South Africa with the view to assess its impact on food security. The aim is to look at similarities and differences on agriculture and land reform policies between these two countries. Components of the Agricultural sector are discussed in terms of working conditions, employment, wages, subsistence agriculture, small commercial farmer and large commercial farmer contexts.

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The loss of control over the nation’s water resources and the crucial function of water supply - as these steadily come under the control of private monopolies, the gigantic foreign companies and global banks – puts into serious dispute any notion and possibility of independence for a small nation like Namibia. The aim of this paper is to sketch out the global context within which the strategy of water privatisation is unfolding and to look at the way in which global and national institutions interact to produce water policies and technologies at a local level. Ultimately the aim and purpose of this study is to explain the cause and reflect on the consequences of privatising water services in a parched country such as Namibia.

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Mumbai, the host city of the fourth World Social Forum (WSF), appropriate in its tapestry as a reflection of inequalities and complexities faced by third world countries against globalisation, served as recognition of the fact that economic globalisation in its current form is not leading to improvement in ordinary peoples’ lives.

Barney Karuuombe
Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI)
Paper presented at the 'Land and Livelihoods in Eastern and Southern Africa' Seminar held on 27 – 31 January 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa

The Ramatex factory is undoubtedly the most spectacular foreign investment in Namibia since independence. The massive size of Ramatex’s operations, the establishment of a totally new industry and the controversies surrounding the company's environmental impact and working conditions, have made Ramatex one of the most talked-about companies in Namibia today. The company is not only the subject of debate amongst politicians, business people, researchers and the media, but also among ordinary men and women on the streets of Windhoek.

by Thobile Yanta who presented the paper to the 13th IIRA World Congress, Berlin, Germany, 8th to 12th September 2003

The issue of regional integration in Africa has been a subject of debate for some time. Political leaders and progressive academics provided various suggestions of how Africa should be unified. The struggle against slavery, colonialism and apartheid in Africa gave further impetus to the subject of regional integration.

Herbert Jauch, Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI)

In recent years a new phenomenon appeared in the Namibian labour market: labour hire companies. They are now featuring prominently in Walvis Bay but also in other towns like Windhoek, Swakopmund and Tsumeb. A study carried out by the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI) examined the effects these companies have in terms of job-creation, training and conditions of service. LaRRI also looked at the responses of trade unions and at the proposed regulations for the labour hire industry. This article summarises some of the findings of LaRRI’s study.

Herbert Jauch , Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI),Namibia
March 1999

Structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) have been implemented in many ‘developing’ countries since the 1980s. They were designed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank and imposed as a condition for further loans. This paper will give a brief background of the events that led many countries to accept SAPs. It will describe how SAPs are being implemented and what results they have produced over the past 20 years. The paper will also give a short analysis of the roles of the World Bank, the IMF and the local political elites in this process.

Herbert Jauch, Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI)

24 September 2002

There is a definite link between economic liberalisation and human rights as the process of economic liberalisation (also known as globalisation) has had a huge impact on people's lives all over the globe. In order to assess this impact, it is essential to first define our understanding of economic liberalisation and human rights, which I would like to do at the beginning of my statement.

By Herbert Jaunch, Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI)

1. Introduction

Over the past few years, the idea of establishing Export Processing Zones (EPZs) has found support among several governments of Southern Africa. This development is linked to the increasing acceptance of ‘globalisation’ and neo-liberal policies across the region. Attempts to become internationally ‘competitive’, to move towards export-led growth, and structural adjustment programmes (SAPs) are now characterising most Southern African countries and most governments regard EPZs as a suitable strategy to find a niche in the global economy. The World Bank regards the introduction of EPZs as a signal of a country’s departure from import substitution towards an export-oriented economy (World Bank 1991). In other words, EPZs are seen as a first step in the process of liberalising trade and integrating national economies into the global economy. Ultimately, the whole country is supposed to operate like an EPZ.

Herbert Jauch, Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI), Namibia

"Globalisation" has become one of the buzzwords of the 1990s. Governments, businesses, unions and community activists talk about it, but often attach very different meanings to the term. It is therefore essential to first define the term and to identify the forces that shape the process of globalisation. Analytical clarity is also crucial to explain the impact of globalisation and to develop possible alternatives.

NALEDI Policy Bulletin asked Dr Neva Makgetla, head of COSATU’s Policy Unit how she thought NGDS outcomes will promote sector strategies and job creation.

By Thobile Yanta

Trade liberalisation creates First World winners and Third World losers. The effect of trade liberalisation on third world economies has been drastic, with the shedding of jobs in many sectors, especially, clothing and textile, agriculture, and fishing.