Barchiesie and Williamson discuss how the democracy that signaled the end of Apartheid in South Africa has had a different affect on the greater population than one would expect. With the word "democracy" one imagines freedom and a better life. In South Africa this is not what democracy brought. Trade unions were formed to protect the working class, as was the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). These trade unions were often seen as an extended family with big brother looking out for the unskilled worker, making sure he received a fair wage, good healthcare, and safe working conditions. The article als

Another unfortunate repercussion of this job loss is the exploitation of women and children. In families where the husband and father has lost his job, oftentimes the mother and children are forced to find work to keep food on the table. This has spurred an increase of home-based family work situations, or operations where the children work on small projects at home. As discussed in the book The Africans, "The adaptability and strength of community and identity reside in the aesthetic and ethical sensibility which we have seen both expressed and cultivated" (The Africans, 1986). In correlation with the book this article exhibits how the ties to community and family are tested and found sound in the face of hardship. Additionally addressed in the article is the idea of working class poverty, or families who have at least one person holding a permanent job but are still living at or below the poverty line.

On a different, but related note, the African National Congress (ANC), South Africa's ruling government, came into power by the public rallying the different socioeconomic classes around it. The themes used for this campaign were the elimination of racism, national liberation, and equal treatment for all South Africans. Unfortunately these were just campaign ideals and few campaign promises have been realized. The freedoms that the working class supporters of the ANC were working toward was not only denied them, but some of the basic necessities that they had enjoyed before the ANC took power were made unattainable.

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Approximate Word count = 1377
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)