The Abdulhay Ahmed Saloojee Trust has been established to investigate the concept of democracy, particularly as it appears in colonial or neo-colonial countries such as South Africa. This is considered to be especially relevant as across the neo-colonial world the question of democracy, in its various forms, has arisen as a subject of fundamental importance. Which type of democracy and which version is most suitable and adequate to meet the needs of society in its current phase of development? This is being examined, not only in Africa, but extensively in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
After the defeat of apartheid in South Africa there was a seemingly valiant attempt to adopt a version of “constitutional” democracy which has been propounded as the most advanced in its character anywhere in the world. Yet it has hardly yielded the results expected by the bulk, if not all of its population. This can be viewed against the background of demonstrations across the world against the limitations of liberal bourgeois democracy which are assiduously opposed by the agents of neo-liberalism. Ideas approaching socialist democracy are condemned and scoffed at with even greater vigour. Clearly, this is a matter that requires investigation and clarification for everyone, the intelligentsia and the working class included.
The trust therefore seeks to organise an annual lecture series in South Africa which addresses this critical question and the results of which can be widely disseminated to all those who should be interested across the country. To this end, sufficient funds have become available in the estate of Abdulhay Saloojee, as was his wish, to facilitate this project.
Our trustees are Kelly Gillespie, Peter Jacobs, Anthea Roberts, Julian Sauls, Shekesh Sirkar and Robert Wilcox. The project manager for the annual lectures is Workers’ World Media Productions (WWMP).