Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

Amidst all the reaction to the fire which took nearly 80 lives in  Johannesburg , only one group of people have not been heard: those who live in the inner city building where the tragedy struck. This is typical - debate in this country talks about poor people but never hears them. Until that changes, the lives of the people in the buildings, and millions of others, will not improve

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Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.