Striking Workers, Palestinian Liberation, and Black and Indian South African Comrades: A Case Study of Hybrid Solidarity in the 2021–2022 Clover Campaign

This chapter offers a case study of “hybrid” solidarities in South Africa through divergent frameworks of solidarity as allyship and shared struggle, by exploring the solidarities forged in the Clover Strike of 2021–2022. It problematises what these categorisations mean when thinking about solidarity and shared struggle. I focus on the cross-racial, cross-class, and largely cross-faith relationships forged and strengthened between Indian and Muslim South Africans organising around Palestinian Liberation, whose participation was sparked by Clover’s links to Milco, its Israeli parent company, and Black-led worker and trade union forces organising for justice for Clover employees. Through exploring this example of solidarities across communities, ideologies, and campaign goals, the chapter theorises a form of solidarity that moves beyond tactical alliances and short-term coalitions. I argue that activities during the Clover campaign support a form of solidarity that unites desires for sovereignty with efforts to dismantling racial and class privilege, built for the purpose of investing in long-term relationship-building and shared visioning and world-making.