The "left" in South Africa has attempted to influence and gain control of the state and effect changes that result in better living conditions for the "working class" for centuries. Whether it has been nationalists seeking to achieve national liberation, communists seeking to overcome "colonialism of a special type", or trade unions fighting to end the exploitation of workers, access to or control of state power has been the necessary precondition for success. The advent of democracy, in 1994, ushered in a period of hope for many in South Africa. But it soon became evident that the ideological orientation of the state, in terms of policy and the economy, was up for contestation. Control of government by the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions did not translate into the achievement of the desired goals of the left, by default. For thi