We identified serious capacity issues among trade union and community activists, and decided to embark on a mass education programme, covering everything from basic shop steward training, political education through to paralegal support and media development. The education campaign has many facets and is delivered in different ways as outlined below, primarily via Labour-Community Media Forums (LCMFs).

WWMP Mass Media Platforms and Institutional Infrastructure

• Weekly 30 – 60-minute shows on 30 Community Radio stations (total audience 2-million) and a weekly 1-hour show on Cape Town TV that has a monthly audience of 70,000 viewers.
• Elitsha community newspaper and online publication that produces daily articles and poised to grow.
• Labour Community Advice, Media and Education Centres (LAMEC’s) operating from Khayelitsha, Alexandra and East London to provide support to vulnerable workers and assist their organizing.

Educational material

We have produced a wide range of educational and training material over the years, including some very well-regarded education manuals and publications. These include publications on 60 Years of the Freedom Charter, A History of Trade Unionism in South Africa, Solidarity for the People of Swaziland and Zimbabwe, and Palestine, a Get Organised series of booklets and a Marxist manual that is a primer, introducing activists to Marxist philosophy and theory.

Education and Training provision

We are registered with South Africa’s sector skills council, the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) for media skills, the Media, Information and Communication Technology (MICT) Seta. This makes us an accredited media training provider, recognised by the sector, and also make us eligible for funding support for training. Trainees will also have accredited formal qualifications that can assist them in finding employment in the media industry.