Eddie Bain - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Eddie Bain
The Review of Black Political Economy
When the African National Congress (ANC) became the democratic government of South Africa in 1994... more When the African National Congress (ANC) became the democratic government of South Africa in 1994, it faced the challenge of transforming the economy. How this was to be done, however, revolved around two divergent views of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) which forms the underlying ideology or glue that binds together the Tripartite Alliance comprising the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the largest workers’ union in the country. Transformation could be achieved either radically through measures such as nationalisation where political control would be transposed into economic power, or via a more liberal route involving the promotion of macro-economic development and the growth of company earnings. This article investigates how the ANC government has sought to bring about the much-needed transformation by providing summary analyses of the following macro-economic policies: the Reconstruction and Developm...
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
The precise meaning of the concept of (political) revolution remains semantically contested. Acco... more The precise meaning of the concept of (political) revolution remains semantically contested. According to Arslanian (2013:127) this concept "is often used liberally, applied to everything from the 'Social Media Revolution' to the 'Sexual Revolution'". Brinton (1965:1-4) agrees, referring to revolution as a concept that "troubles the semanticist not only because of its wide range in popular usage, but also because it is one of those words charged with emotional content". In some instances revolution even becomes a "holy word" with an a priori moral force which sets preconditions for moral righteousness. It seems that "the revolution" can become just as important as a religion would be. This same revolution/religion also provides the opportunity to gain material and immaterial goods for humankind (Marcuse, 2001:123). Koselleck (as quoted by Marinelli; 2014:8) argues that the semantics of the concept revolution is by no means unequivocal. The goal of this article therefore is to address the semantic vagueness of the political concept of revolution through a literature analysis, subsequently listing observable characteristics of the phenomenon. As such, this article is a theoretical effort contributing to what Babbie and Mouton (2008:113) call the hermeneutic cycle of ever-deepening understanding in which the different observables of revolution will be arrived at via the deconstruction of various definitions from wide-ranging schools of thought and ideas of revolution.
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies
With the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the central focus of the newly appoi... more With the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the central focus of the newly appointed government was to alter and consolidate the policies of the pre-Union colonies that differed materially in many respects and to substitute them with uniform policies that had to be implemented as a consolidated whole for the Union. This central focus was applied to a number of policies, notably those for the black people, immigration, education, labour, national defence and the development and implementation of railway, mining and agricultural policies. However, an omission occurred with regard to the consideration of a comprehensive public health policy by the political parties and the Union Parliament, consisting of white people only. This article examines this omission during the first 10 years of the Union of South Africa (1910–1920), during the three 5-yearly general elections (on 15 September 1910, 20 October 1915 and 10 March 1920), and argues that this lack of consideration ...
The integrative multidisciplinary IMD project team doing research in the Bekkersdal community was... more The integrative multidisciplinary IMD project team doing research in the Bekkersdal community was prompted, initiated, made possible by and is continuing with various role players (peoples and institutions) in relation to the Bekkersdal environment, with a specific focus on health and wellbeing. The IMD process will be completed towards the end of 2015 and the SWOT analysis in this article is based on the team members’ research experiences during 2013 and the first quarter of 2014. The IMD process must be seen as part of the sequential research process progressing from the disciplinary (D) to the IMD, to the transdisciplinary (TD) phases. The phase of IMD research is focussed on clustered disciplines sharing related foci or/methodologies on this specific (health and welfare) research in Bekkersdal. The question arises: “How did the research team members, many of whom had to work in an integrative manner in a multidisciplinary team for the first time, experience having to work in suc...
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Many people are familiar with South Africa’s political past – the prolonged periods of colonialis... more Many people are familiar with South Africa’s political past – the prolonged periods of colonialism and oppression of the black majority, and the eventual dismantling of apartheid and the introduction of a new democratic order. Relatively few people, however, know what principles actually steered South Africa on its journey towards freedom and democracy. It is not uncommon for oppressed people to rise up and institute change through violent revolution. While some groups of people threw their weight behind the idea of an armed struggle, South Africa’s revolution was largely an ideological one ‒ characterised by a succession of struggle leaders debating the merits of communism vs. socialism, forming resistance groups and alliances, and producing authoritative treatises on how to achieve political and economic liberation (not so much a revolution but a bloody evolution). With the desired political dispensation long since attained, South Africa now faces the formidable challenge of freei...
This publication – the tenth of the Bench Marks Foundations’ Policy Gap series – is a research re... more This publication – the tenth of the Bench Marks Foundations’ Policy Gap series – is a research report on Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore mining industry in Sishen, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. The Sishen mine is Kumba’s biggest and leading mine operation in South Africa and one of the seven largest open-pit mines in the world. This is a relevant study given the importance of the iron sector to the South African economy, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicating that South Africa produced 67 million metric tons of iron ore in 2013, making it the world’s 7th largest producer. In particular, the report highlights the strengths and weaknesses in the policies of Kumba Iron Ore in its efforts to gain and maintain a Social License to Operate (SLO). The SLO concept, combined with the related notion of ‘free prior and informed consent’ (FPIC), are becoming increasingly important principles in ensuring the sustainability of mining operations, and more importantly, the well-being of surrounding communities and the environment.
The research used the following terms of reference:
A theoretical conceptualisation of social licence to operate (SLO)
Kumba’s side of the story (an assessment of Kumba’s SLO-relevant policies, programmes and projects)
An overview of labour issues at Kumba Iron Ore
The Kumba communities: relevant issues in negotiating a SLO
An evaluation of Kumba company policies/programmes/projects vis-a-vis community issues within the bigger picture of a SLO
Recommendations in order to make the negotiation process of a SLO more effective
The central parts of this Executive Summary will be presented in the forthcoming paragraphs under the terms of reference mentioned above, but first, a brief description will be given of the research methodology.
The Review of Black Political Economy
When the African National Congress (ANC) became the democratic government of South Africa in 1994... more When the African National Congress (ANC) became the democratic government of South Africa in 1994, it faced the challenge of transforming the economy. How this was to be done, however, revolved around two divergent views of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) which forms the underlying ideology or glue that binds together the Tripartite Alliance comprising the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the largest workers’ union in the country. Transformation could be achieved either radically through measures such as nationalisation where political control would be transposed into economic power, or via a more liberal route involving the promotion of macro-economic development and the growth of company earnings. This article investigates how the ANC government has sought to bring about the much-needed transformation by providing summary analyses of the following macro-economic policies: the Reconstruction and Developm...
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
The precise meaning of the concept of (political) revolution remains semantically contested. Acco... more The precise meaning of the concept of (political) revolution remains semantically contested. According to Arslanian (2013:127) this concept "is often used liberally, applied to everything from the 'Social Media Revolution' to the 'Sexual Revolution'". Brinton (1965:1-4) agrees, referring to revolution as a concept that "troubles the semanticist not only because of its wide range in popular usage, but also because it is one of those words charged with emotional content". In some instances revolution even becomes a "holy word" with an a priori moral force which sets preconditions for moral righteousness. It seems that "the revolution" can become just as important as a religion would be. This same revolution/religion also provides the opportunity to gain material and immaterial goods for humankind (Marcuse, 2001:123). Koselleck (as quoted by Marinelli; 2014:8) argues that the semantics of the concept revolution is by no means unequivocal. The goal of this article therefore is to address the semantic vagueness of the political concept of revolution through a literature analysis, subsequently listing observable characteristics of the phenomenon. As such, this article is a theoretical effort contributing to what Babbie and Mouton (2008:113) call the hermeneutic cycle of ever-deepening understanding in which the different observables of revolution will be arrived at via the deconstruction of various definitions from wide-ranging schools of thought and ideas of revolution.
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies
With the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the central focus of the newly appoi... more With the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the central focus of the newly appointed government was to alter and consolidate the policies of the pre-Union colonies that differed materially in many respects and to substitute them with uniform policies that had to be implemented as a consolidated whole for the Union. This central focus was applied to a number of policies, notably those for the black people, immigration, education, labour, national defence and the development and implementation of railway, mining and agricultural policies. However, an omission occurred with regard to the consideration of a comprehensive public health policy by the political parties and the Union Parliament, consisting of white people only. This article examines this omission during the first 10 years of the Union of South Africa (1910–1920), during the three 5-yearly general elections (on 15 September 1910, 20 October 1915 and 10 March 1920), and argues that this lack of consideration ...
The integrative multidisciplinary IMD project team doing research in the Bekkersdal community was... more The integrative multidisciplinary IMD project team doing research in the Bekkersdal community was prompted, initiated, made possible by and is continuing with various role players (peoples and institutions) in relation to the Bekkersdal environment, with a specific focus on health and wellbeing. The IMD process will be completed towards the end of 2015 and the SWOT analysis in this article is based on the team members’ research experiences during 2013 and the first quarter of 2014. The IMD process must be seen as part of the sequential research process progressing from the disciplinary (D) to the IMD, to the transdisciplinary (TD) phases. The phase of IMD research is focussed on clustered disciplines sharing related foci or/methodologies on this specific (health and welfare) research in Bekkersdal. The question arises: “How did the research team members, many of whom had to work in an integrative manner in a multidisciplinary team for the first time, experience having to work in suc...
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Many people are familiar with South Africa’s political past – the prolonged periods of colonialis... more Many people are familiar with South Africa’s political past – the prolonged periods of colonialism and oppression of the black majority, and the eventual dismantling of apartheid and the introduction of a new democratic order. Relatively few people, however, know what principles actually steered South Africa on its journey towards freedom and democracy. It is not uncommon for oppressed people to rise up and institute change through violent revolution. While some groups of people threw their weight behind the idea of an armed struggle, South Africa’s revolution was largely an ideological one ‒ characterised by a succession of struggle leaders debating the merits of communism vs. socialism, forming resistance groups and alliances, and producing authoritative treatises on how to achieve political and economic liberation (not so much a revolution but a bloody evolution). With the desired political dispensation long since attained, South Africa now faces the formidable challenge of freei...
This publication – the tenth of the Bench Marks Foundations’ Policy Gap series – is a research re... more This publication – the tenth of the Bench Marks Foundations’ Policy Gap series – is a research report on Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore mining industry in Sishen, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. The Sishen mine is Kumba’s biggest and leading mine operation in South Africa and one of the seven largest open-pit mines in the world. This is a relevant study given the importance of the iron sector to the South African economy, with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicating that South Africa produced 67 million metric tons of iron ore in 2013, making it the world’s 7th largest producer. In particular, the report highlights the strengths and weaknesses in the policies of Kumba Iron Ore in its efforts to gain and maintain a Social License to Operate (SLO). The SLO concept, combined with the related notion of ‘free prior and informed consent’ (FPIC), are becoming increasingly important principles in ensuring the sustainability of mining operations, and more importantly, the well-being of surrounding communities and the environment.
The research used the following terms of reference:
A theoretical conceptualisation of social licence to operate (SLO)
Kumba’s side of the story (an assessment of Kumba’s SLO-relevant policies, programmes and projects)
An overview of labour issues at Kumba Iron Ore
The Kumba communities: relevant issues in negotiating a SLO
An evaluation of Kumba company policies/programmes/projects vis-a-vis community issues within the bigger picture of a SLO
Recommendations in order to make the negotiation process of a SLO more effective
The central parts of this Executive Summary will be presented in the forthcoming paragraphs under the terms of reference mentioned above, but first, a brief description will be given of the research methodology.