Speakers Day 1

Today was day one of the Colloquium on Economy, Society and Nature here at UKZN. There are several South African known speakers speaking on South African labour markets, race, development and state and other related topics. This morning we heard from Ann-Marie Wolpe whose late husband, Harold Wolpe, was known here in South Africa with assisting Nelson Mandela out of apartheid through the MK (spear of the people)and Lilyleaf. Another speaker, Ari Sitas, in Sociology at UKZN spoke about there needing to be a "steering mechanism" where social action must take place before this trend of South African authoritarism or crisis begins to take hold and the "democratic form of state will miss out in the balance of equality and freedom" (Ari Sitas). A clear example of this was yesterday, shanti dwellers were beaten by police during a peaceful protest here around Durban for property rights and reform. More interesting stuff to come.