Popular protests have surged around the world over the last decade. But do they work? And what lessons can be learnt from communities who have a history of militant protests?
When the African National Congress (ANC) was elected to power in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, many believed that popular protests, which were the norm in the fight against apartheid, would no longer be necessary. It was assumed that the party would deliver quality housing and education, safety and economic prosperity to the previously oppressed black majority.
But by the late 1990s popular protests in communities affected by water and electricity cutoffs and evictions ushered in a new era of social movements. One of the first communities to protest against the new government was Thembelihle informal settlement. The term “informal settlement” denotes an area where people occupied land and built shacks, usually without the state’s authorisation.
