The Union, The Nation, and the Talking Crow: The ideology and tactics of the Independent ICU in East London

African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented March,1985In January 1930 a meeting was held at Headman Koliwe's location in Kentani district, Transkei. It was addressed by Elias Mabodla (or Agitator No. 53 as he was identified in a police report) who had come "to preach ICU amongst you people". He recounted how nine trade union leaders had been arrested in East London where they had called a strike. Their plight evoked strong sympathy in Kentani, especially as one of those arrested was a local man, Dorrington Mqayi. Headman Nkonki summed up the mood of the meeting: "It is for us to see into this matter as our blood is amongst those people in the gaol at East London." Fifty years later, during our research on rural popular movements we encountered Mqayi in his identity as an ICU "agitator" in Kentani. We then retraced his footsteps. In an archival echo of his journeys between the Transkei and the harbour city, we moved from the boxes holding the records of the Kentani magistracy to those of the East London Town Clerk. We had no way of knowing whether Mqayi would resurface in the East London documents, but began our search for him in speculative optimism. We did meet Mqayi again - but not him alone. Mqayi in East London was not the leading actor that he might have been on the smaller stage of Kentani; rather, he had a modest speaking part in a vibrant urban drama - a drama recorded in the vivid and detailed police records* of ICU activity in the Town Clerk's files

Production, Labour Migrancy and the Chieftancy: Aspects of the Political Economy of Pondoland, ca. 1860-1930.

This thesis is a contribution towards the study of the transformation of African society in South Africa under the impact of colonisation and capitalist development. It is a case study of political and economic change in one African chiefdom, the Mpondo, before and after the society was annexed by the Cape Colony in 1894. In the first chapter, an attempt is made to analyse the nature of the economy of the chiefdom prior to colonial rule, to discuss the relationship between chiefs and people, and to assess the effects of the penetration of colonial traders into the area. The second chapter, dealing with the response of the Mpondo chiefs to economic change, argues that the political conflict between the chiefs and colonial powers in the late nineteenth century must be located in the struggle for control over trade. Responses to Rinderpest (1897), the opening of colonial markets for Mpondo grain and attempts to mobilise a migrant labour force from Pondoland are analysed in chapter three. It is sug-gested that the simultaneous increase in grain production and migrancy can only be explained if the particular form of early migrancy and the structure of Mpondo homesteads is understood. Chapter four illustrates the effects of state intervention in Pondoland after Union (1910). While the Mpondo were blocked from markets for much of their produce and more deeply incorporated into the capitalist economy as migrant labourers, changes in patterns of cropping and family structure enabled output to be maintained. In chapter five, it is argued that the Cape and Union governments, after attempting, initially, to destroy the chieftaincy, allowed the chiefs some leeway in order to maintain control in Pondoland. The survival of chiefly authority, especially insofar as it included control over the distribution of land, had important implications for the nature of production and stratification in the area. Rural differentiation, emerging rural class divisions, and conflicts and alliances in rural politics are discussed in chapter six

Immunization enhances the natural antibody repertoire

The role of immunization in the production of antibodies directed against immunogens is widely appreciated in laboratory animals and in humans. However, the role of immunization in the development of “natural antibodies” has not been investigated. Natural antibodies are those antibodies present without known history of infection or immunization, and react to a wide range of targets, including “cryptic” self-antigens that are exposed upon cell death. In this study, the ability of immunization to elicit the production of natural antibodies in laboratory rats was evaluated. Laboratory rats were immunized with a series of injections using peanut extracts (a common allergen), a high molecular weight protein conjugated to hapten (FITC-KLH), and a carbohydrate conjugated to hapten (DNPFicall). Significantly greater binding of antibodies from immunized animals compared to controls was observed to numerous autologous organ extracts (brain, kidney, liver, lung, prostate, and spleen) for both IgM and IgG, although the effect was more pronounced for IgM. These studies suggest that immunization may have at least one unforeseen benefit, enhancing networks of natural antibodies that may be important in such processes as wound repair and tumor surveillance. Such enhancement of natural antibody function may be particularly important in Western society, where decreased exposure to the environment may be associated with a weakened natural antibody repertoire

Subclinical postoperative atrial fibrillation: a randomized trial

BackgroundPostoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication of cardiac surgery, requiring interventions and prolonging hospital stay. POAF is associated with increased mortality and a higher rate of systemic thrombo-embolism. The rates of recurrent AF, optimal follow-up and management remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) events, during long term follow-up in patients with POAF following cardiac surgery.MethodsPatients with POAF and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of ≥2 were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to either implantation of a loop recorder (ILR) or ECG monitoring using periodic Holters. Participants were followed prospectively for 2 years. The primary end point was the occurrence of AF longer than 5 min.ResultsThe final cohort comprised of 22 patients, of whom 14 received an ILR. Over a median follow up of 25.7 (IQR of 24.7–44.4) months, 8 patients developed AF, representing a cumulative annualized risk of AF recurrence of 35.7%. There was no difference between ILR (6 participants, 40%) and ECG/Holter (2 participants, 25% p = 0.917). All 8 patients with AF recurrence were treated with oral anticoagulation. There were no cases of mortality, stroke or major bleeding. Two patients underwent ILR explantation due to pain at the implantation site.ConclusionsThe rate of recurrent AF in patients with POAF after cardiac surgery and a CHA2DS2-VASc score of ≥2 is approximately 1 in 3 when followed systematically. Further research is need to assess the role of ILRs in this population

Transkeian migrant workers and youth labour on the Natal sugar estates, 1918-1940

Paper presented at the Wits History Workshop: Structure and Experience in the Making of Apartheid, 6-10 February, 1990