This winter in KwaZulu-Natal, sugar cane sits uncut in the fields because there is no one to harvest it—a baffling sight in a country where 8.1 million South Africans are searching for work and coming up empty. In one of the most unemployed societies on Earth, essential work is going undone due to what appears on the surface to be a severe labor shortage. At first glance, this dynamic looks like a classic economic paradox. In reality, it signals something far more fundamental: a labor market that has ceased to function as a market altogether. Colleen Makhubele spoke to Dominique Martin – Food and Allied Workers Union, Bennie van Zyl – The Fortress for the Commercial Farmers South Africa and Ntsako Shivambu Political Analyst and Halalisani Ndlovu ActionSA Provincial Campaign Manager.