Whither big business? Bourgeois strategies to cope with the South African revolution

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Periodical article

Title:	Whither big business? Bourgeois strategies to cope with the South African revolution
Author:	Borkman, Gerald
Year:	1989
Periodical:	The African Communist
Issue:	117
Pages:	48-64
Language:	English
Geographic term:	South Africa
Subjects:	liberalism apartheid bourgeoisie
Abstract:	The economic cost of apartheid in South Africa is a real problem. The regime spends desperately on multiethnic bureaucracies, militarization and white civil service salaries. The economic benefits reaped by capital from a cheap black labour system are increasingly undercut by the enormous expense of maintaining the system. Accordingly, the recent period has seen significant new attempts by the white liberal capitalist constituency to organize both itself and the bourgeoisie as a whole into a powerful 'moderate' liberal political force. Although the potential power of white businessmen to oppose apartheid is vast, most members of the bourgeoisie keep quiet about the scope for action. But the following significant developments can be noted: moves towards unifying established English business organizations, the formation of an explicitly liberal business educational group, and the attempt to launch a moderate-centre political party. Bibliogr., notes, ref.