Paper short abstract:

CLP will discuss current realities of the poor, particularly in KwaZulu Natal, under the oppressive systems in South Africa, that permeates to all aspects of life, including the electoral system that favors the elites, the failing of infrastructures and the proposed coalitions’ after 2024 elections

Paper long abstract:

Players change but the game remains the same.

This phrase was used by one member of Abahlali baseMjondolo in a meeting where we were talking about elections and the impact it’s have on people on the ground, who are marginalized and yet they are still expected to participate in the upcoming elections. She cautions that we need to be mindful that even if we change the ruling government, the ‘game’, the electoral system, remains the same, producing elites. Apartheid system favored ‘white’ people. Now it favors the elite, the ones who are poor remains poor and left with hope that someday things will change; hope that is renewed every five years.

While there is less intense focus on South Africa now that apartheid is over, the sociological legacies continue and the fundamental nature or rules of the game remain constant. It points to the idea that regardless of who is involved, the main objectives, strategies, and overall dynamics of the game do not fluctuate. It emphasizes the notion that although the participants may alter, the essence and essence of the game remains unchanged.

CLP will discuss the current realities of the poor, particularly in KwaZulu Natal, under the ongoing oppressive systems in South Africa, that permeates to all aspects of life, including the electoral system that favors the elites, the failing electricity system with load-sharing, and the improper draining systems in poor, flood-prone areas (compounded by climate change) that results in loss of homes, food, and lives when it rains.