2 (1986)                                        Editorial
 EDITORIAL
The potential for rapid social transformation that seemed manifest in South
Africa some months back now appears to have receded. We are In a period of
reaction, where conservative social forces seem set to play a greater role
in influencing events.
It would however be a mistake to think that this period could herald a
return to the frozen social wastelands of Verwoerdian Apartheid. South
Africa Is undoubtedly on the road towards a restructuring of the existing
basis of political rule. The political and economic character this dis-
plays depends ultimately on whether 1t Is an alliance of conservative or
progressive social forces Impelling It along the particular paths that are
Possible.
One of the currently Important tasks that face popular organisations is to
understand the nature of these conservative forces, particularly those that
have a social basis amongst black people, as well as the options that they
present for the future. Rhetoric Is allowed to replace analysis when these
forces are dismissed as "puppets1, 'stooges' and 'sell-outs', as if nothing
more was required to be said. Yet their power is sometimes real and has a
class basis. TRANSFORMATION 2 seeks to address some of these Issues In our
two main articles.
From the viewpoint of the state as well as the ruling class, the 'KwaZulu/
Natal option' Is Indeed 'the only show In town". Daryl Glaser attempts to
unravel the variety of social forces that have Intermeshed In an alliance
of Interests and produced the Natal 'Indaba'. He presents an analysis of
the underlying material basis of this option, and Issues a cogent warning
to treat this new class alliance of conservative social forces less
cavalierly.
The weight of conservatism in the countryside, particularly the bantustans,
is too often treated as being attributable to the reactionary basis of
chieftainship. Tim Quinlan takes up this issue In an analysis of the
changing nature of political power in Qwa Qwa. His conclusion that poli-
tical power no longer depends fundamentally on the tribal Institutions of
chieftainship raises questions about the potentialities of new types of
political alliances.


Transformation 2                                                Editorial
Debate sections are meant to be controversial. Hartin Plaut poses a number
of questions concerning the political relationship between independent
working class organisation and current political forces. The most central
one for Plaut is whether COSATU will easily mesh in with ANC/SACP political
strategies.
Jeremy Cronin replies to Hudson In TRANSFORMATION 1. He argues that
 'national democracy' needs to be situated with relevance both to intellec-
tual antecedents and to contemporary South African political practices.
 This clearly will not be left to rest here, for some will undoubtedly take
 further issue with his interpretations.
 Our Review section includes an Important consideration of Alan Jeeves'
 historical study of migrant labour on the gold mines by Rob Turrell. It
 steers readers into some of the debate between structural and processual
  Interpretations of South African history. Both sides claim to be contribu-
 ting to a left analysis but one emphasizes broader overall structures of
 accumulation and Imperatives of capitalism while the other puts most weight
 on historically very specific and localised class struggles.
  Ari Sitas deals with the new emphasis on the class dynamics of politicised
  culture in current trade union struggles. He Introduces readers to the new
  working class poetry which utilises ethnic images of the past to convey the
  images of working class revolt and trade union struggle.
  Finally we Include two shorter reviews. Cynthia Kros considers the Africa-
  nisatfon of South African history and Hike Sutcliffe evaluates the merits
  and pitfalls of survey techniques in assessing South African political
  attitudes.