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lets hope Grace heads that way soon too, nasty piece of work.
Many zimbos were more worried about what would follow mugabe and it seems of much of the same under Mnangagwa, the only reason we dont hear much about the asset stripping in Zim is because almost everything there is to strip is now gone.
Real shame what's happened there. I did a drive around in 1997 and its probably the most beautiful country I've visited with the most friendly people.
Went last year, absolutely wonderful country.
Post Mugabe they are slowly opening up to tourism, well worth a visit but I got the impression best to have a 'driver' out of town as not a place you'd want to get stranded.
They have a rather selective visa for cash arrangement when you arrive in Zimbabwe, low if your African, German or Dutch, high if you're British, and through the roof if you're Chinese. They, like a lot of Africa, absolutely hate the Chinese!
Post Mugabe they are slowly opening up to tourism, well worth a visit but I got the impression best to have a 'driver' out of town as not a place you'd want to get stranded.
They have a rather selective visa for cash arrangement when you arrive in Zimbabwe, low if your African, German or Dutch, high if you're British, and through the roof if you're Chinese. They, like a lot of Africa, absolutely hate the Chinese!
Probably because the chinese are believed to be slowly "buying up" the continent.
When I was at Addis Abbaba airport a couple months ago looking for a half decent bite to eat rather than the over priced rubbish on show I was shown the door and refused service in a chinese food stall as I wasnt chinese. Seemingly they only accept chinese currency and clientel.
Probably because the chinese are believed to be slowly "buying up" the continent.
When I was at Addis Abbaba airport a couple months ago looking for a half decent bite to eat rather than the over priced rubbish on show I was shown the door and refused service in a chinese food stall as I wasnt chinese. Seemingly they only accept chinese currency and clientel.
Regards the Chinese, that affirms where the Africans are coming from. I was surprised at the level of hatred.
African countries invited the Chinese in as offered big improvements in infrastructure in return for taking over and running extraction of mineral rich areas. The infrastructure did improve but Africans complained some years ago they weren't getting any jobs, all going to Chinese.
This was explained away as the Africans not being up to the standard of Chinese workers, turned out it was more to do with the technology Chinese had available to strip the minerals at a frightening rate, using the infrastructure built largely to aid removal of said minerals to ports and back out to China, then shutting down the mines concerned.
When Africans ask about further future infrastructure improvements they're told the minerals are all gone so they won't be getting any more improvements in that locality. Basically, they're fckin off back to China with all the wealth and the Africans are left with barely a pot to piss in.
Regards the Chinese, that affirms where the Africans are coming from. I was surprised at the level of hatred.
African countries invited the Chinese in as offered big improvements in infrastructure in return for taking over and running extraction of mineral rich areas. The infrastructure did improve but Africans complained some years ago they weren't getting any jobs, all going to Chinese.
This was explained away as the Africans not being up to the standard of Chinese workers, turned out it was more to do with the technology Chinese had available to strip the minerals at a frightening rate, using the infrastructure built largely to aid removal of said minerals to ports and back out to China, then shutting down the mines concerned.
When Africans ask about further future infrastructure improvements they're told the minerals are all gone so they won't be getting any more improvements in that locality. Basically, they're fckin off back to China with all the wealth and the Africans are left with barely a pot to piss in.
And people have a pop at Trump!
its not just happening in Africa mind, I read an article about Sri Lanka they were offered a large infrastructure project the government didnt have the funds for. In stepped a chinese bank and offered them a loan to fund the project. Said project didnt yield the profits forecast meaning the government couldnt afford the loan payments and the project fell into chinese hands.
Seems a bit like the mafia's protection schtick to me
its not just happening in Africa mind, I read an article about Sri Lanka they were offered a large infrastructure project the government didnt have the funds for. In stepped a chinese bank and offered them a loan to fund the project. Said project didnt yield the profits forecast meaning the government couldnt afford the loan payments and the project fell into chinese hands.
Seems a bit like the mafia's protection schtick to me
You're right.
These countries are being seriously exploited and yet you barely hear about it. Much easier it seems for the Western world to slag Trump for his latest verbal indiscretion.
These countries are being seriously exploited and yet you barely hear about it. Much easier it seems for the Western world to slag Trump for his latest verbal indiscretion.
They'll be a wake up call one day.
economic exploitation is what it is regardless of ethnicity
Chinese Americans Belgians British Dutch Portugese Spanish Turks Arabs Romans Greeks Egyptians
An analysis written in 1980 when Mugabe came to power:
Zimbabwe - Who won?
The installation of the new government of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe has been hailed on all sides as a victory. Lord Carrington and Margaret Thatcher acclaimed a victory for British diplomacy and administrative skill. The British labour movement celebrated a victory of the national liberation movement in Zimbabwe. And the Patriotic Front claimed an electoral triumph after a long and hard fought guerrilla struggle. As the Union Jack is hauled down for the last time in Salisbury, we ask - who really won in Zimbabwe?
Everyone a winner?
The British ruling class immediately gave Mugabe the thumbs up. As The Times put it, 'What we have here is a British success story'. The Tories and the Labour Party rejoiced in Parliament at the news of the Patriotic Front's election success:
'It was a day for congratulations all round. Seldom can the opposing sides of the Commons and the Lords have been so united as they were yesterday in their acceptance of the success of the Rhodesian exercise.' (The Times, 5 March 1980)
The labour movement added its congratulations: hundreds of trade unions, trades councils and labour movement conferences sent greetings to the new Government. The left went further. The Socialist Workers Party pronounced:
'It is a victory which will disturb the sleep of many, in Pretoria and London and Washinghton. It is our victory too.' (Socialist Worker, 8 March 1980)
The world's businessmen may be losing sleep because they are working overtime assessing the possibilities for trade and investment in the new Zimbabwe.
The inauguration of the Mugabe regime is the outcome of a successful British holding operation to stabilise capitalist relations in Southern Africa. It is a victory for imperialism over the masses of Zimbabwe, won through the collusion of their petit-bourgeois leadership in Africa and the acquiescence of the labour movement in Britain.
From Rhodesia to Zimbabwe
From 1972 until 1979 a bitter guerrilla war engulfed Zimbabwe. It ravaged thousands of acres of farmland and brought the economy to near standstill. It became more and more obvious to the imperialists that white settler rule, and the extreme political oppression of blacks that it entailed, could not be sustained indefinitely. Imperialist interests in Southern Africa could only be safeguarded by transferring political power to a black government. This could retain the allegiance of Africans and, at the same time, revive the economy.
The March 1978 Internal Settlement was an imperialist attempt to set up a black regime in Zimbabwe. It failed because the black signatories - Muzorewa, Sithole, Chirau - lost all credibility with the African people. Carrington's predecessor, Labour Foreign Secretary David Owen, recognised that Patriotic Front leaders Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo were the key figures:
'My position is that if all were included, that would be desirable....If you can include one of the external nationalists then that would help in gaining recognition at the earliest time. They can't come without their men coming with them....If you were to get both in so much the better, but at least get Joshua.' (quoted in Africa Confidential, 31 March 1978)
But Owen's attempts to make a deal with the nationalist guerrilla leaders failed. Carrington's achievement was that he landed both fish.
At the Lancaster House Conference last autumn he sat down with Nkomo and Mugabe. And he got results: he bullied the Patriotic Front into concessions that could only mean disaster for the African people. First, Carrington imposed a ceasefire which brought the PF's 25,000-strong guerrilla army into isolated camps. Second, he appointed Lord Soames to hold absolute power until a suitable black government was installed. Third, he made sure that the army and police remained in white hands until the new regime was firmly established.
Soames gets a little help from his friends
Soames arrived in Salisbury in December to run the elections and set up the new government. His first job was to weaken the anti-imperialist movement so that its leaders could be forced as neatly as possible into the mould the British had designed. Mugabe's ZANU(PF) was the major target for repression between the ceasefire and the elections: the government imprisoned thousands of party workers, banned ZANU leader Enos Nkala and tried to bar the whole organisation from campaigning in two provinces.
Despite all this Mugabe and Nkomo remained on good terms with Lord Soames. As he moved in to round up the thousands of guerrillas who ignored the ceasefire the Patriotic Front leaders offered their assistance, threatening to crush the rebels who refused to surrender. Mugabe and Nkomo treated the British as a progressive force which would remove the Smith regime and bring peace and prosperity to Zimbabwe. They held up the terms of the Lancaster House agreement as major concessions, repeatedly calling on Soames to honour them.
A small and relatively weak liberation army confronted by the military might of imperialism is sometimes forced to make compromises. But if the struggle against imperialism is to go forward any compromise must be presented to the masses as what it is - a setback - not welcomed as a major achievement. The Patriotic Front leaders presented their compromises as gains throughout the election campaign: they sought not to overthrow imperialism but to make deals with the imperialist leaders.
Reform or counter-revolution?
ZANU(PF) gained popular support because, throughout the war of liberation, it promised to sweep the new Zimbabwe clean of every vestige of white rule. It mobilised the African masses with socialist rhetoric; its armed opposition to the existing state coincided with the democratic aspirations of the African people. The masses demanded radical land reforms and large-scale nationalisation - ZANU(PF) promised they would have them.
However Mugabe's first priority after the election was to reach an accommodation with imperialism. He immediately abandoned the demands of the people:
'Those who have talked about the possibility of some people being victimised or the possibility of personal and other properties being nationalised, being seized, have not read us correctly. We shall do no such thing.' (Daily Telegraph, 5 March 1980)
Mugabe reassured capitalists in Zimbabwe and abroad that their interests would be preserved by appointing two prominent whites - a businessman and a farmer - as Ministers in his Cabinet of national unity. The ZANU leadership made it clear that Zimbabwe would not support the guerrilla struggle against imperialism in South Africa. Mugabe even invited Lord Soames to extend his stay in the country during the first few months of independence.
Mugabe's moderation surprised the bourgeoisie. 'Is there a new Mugabe?' asked The Economist, as it pondered over the rapid transformation of a 'Marxist' guerrilla leader into a respectable bourgeois politician. There should have been no surprise. Mugabe's aim had always been merely to make Zimbabwe more democratic. Following the official communist movement ZANU(PF) espouses a 'two-stage' theory of revolution: first the stage of national independence and capitalist a development, then on to socialism.
'ZANU aims at achieving a socialist revolution. However before the achievement of...socialist revolution, a transitional stage of National Democratic Revolution is necessary...The deeper the national democratic revolution the better the conditions for socialist revolution.' (Zimbabwe News, July-December 1977)
For ZANU Mugabe's election victory was the 'national democratic revolution'. Now the aim is to build a capitalist Zimbabwe. Mugabe's defence of private property and his opposition to nationalisation follow from this objective. His programme advances the interests of the small group of black Zimbabweans who have a stake in business or farming.
Bitter experience has shown that in backward capitalist countries, such as Zimbabwe, capitalism can only survive through the impoverishment of the masses. ZANU's petit-bourgeois programme leaves socialism for the indefinite future; but even in the present it cannot bring decent living standards and political freedoms to the majority of the African people.
Already the Zimbabwean counter-revolution has begun. Within a fortnight of Mugabe's election victory more than 16,000 workers in Salisbury, Bulawayo and other cities went on strike for higher wages. The new government reacted immediately. Labour Minister Kumbirai Kangai urged moderation. 'Any precipitate action', he said, 'can only serve to damage the goodwill which has been built between government, the employees and their employers and will inevitably have a crippling effect on industry' (Morning Star, 19 March 1980). Mugabe's government tries to use the influence of ZANU(PF) among militant workers to get them to accept starvation wages. For black workers in the new Zimbabwe it was strike-breaking as usual.
'British responsibility'
While the British ruling class has been imposing its solution on Zimbabwe it has been able to take comfort from the activities of the labour movement. The Anti-Apartheid Movement, backed by the Labour Party and the Communist Party, has continually deplored the British ruling class' lack of decisiveness in dealing with the 'Zimbabwe problem'. In the run-up to the elections the AAM could only urge Britain to 'stick to the letter and spirit of the Lancaster House Agreement' (Anti-Apaniheid News, January/February 1980). The AAM wanted to make sure 'the letter and the spirit' of the setback that the Lancaster House agreement represented was fully inflicted on the Zimbabwean people. The AAM simply put a liberal face on the interests of British imperialism.
The same reactionary role was played by the Zimbabwe Emergency Campaign Committee (ZECC) - a front organisation created by the AAM embracing the Socialist Workers Party, the International Marxist Group and the Revolutionary Communist Group. For ZECC the major flaw in Britain's foreign policy was that successive governments 'have refused to take effective action to remove the Smith regime from power since it declared UDI in 1965' (ZECC, General campaign statement). By recommending a more aggressive imperialist state, ZECC tried to channel working class sympathy for the Zimbabwean masses into support for British imperialism. Greeting Mugabe's victory, the Communist Party of Great Britain suggested that the 'biggest nail so far is being driven into the coffin of racist rule in Southern Africa' (Editorial, Morning Star, 4 March 1980). Before you hammer nails into a coffin it's important to make sure you have a corpse inside. While the CP indulged in daydreams South African capital, very much alive, looked to the new Zimbabwe as a promising sphere of investment.
The Revolutionary Communist Group followed on behind the Stalinists. In its unflinching support for petit-bourgeois nationalism its eyes remained glued to the backsides of Mugabe and Nkomo. The RCG issued this panegyric:
'We salute the landslide victory of ZANU and ZAPU in the Zimbabwean elections. It will give an enormous impetus to the struggle against the racist apartheid regime in South Africa...A body blow to the British ruling class it is a great step forward for the British working class and the worldwide movement against imperialism.' ('Victory!', Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, March/April 1980)
'A body blow to the British ruling class'? Why then was Fleet Street so pleased with the result? 'An enormous impetus to the struggle against the racist apartheid regime in South Africa'? But Mugabe has made it clear that he will give no succour to African National Congress guerrillas. He is pledged to peaceful coexistence, and stronger trade links, with his southern neighbour. Finally it is, we are told, 'a great step forward for the British working class'. On the contrary, events in Zimbabwe have revealed the political weakness of the British labour movement. During the last twenty years it has had no policy on Zimbabwe independent from the British ruling class. This has left the bourgeoisie free to impose its imperialist solution on the liberation movement.
The enemy at home
In the last eight months British imperialism has successfully 'decolonised' Zimbabwe and gone some way towards defusing the potentially explosive situation in Southern Africa. The interests of workers in Zimbabwe now lie in a challenge to Mugabe's compromises with imperialism which mean poverty and oppression for the masses. To carry the struggle against imperialism forward workers need a programme which expresses their interests independently of the petit-bourgeoisie.
The interests of workers in Britain lie in the fight against the same state that still oppresses Zimbabwe - the British state. We must expose all the claims of the British ruling class that it can play a progressive role in Zimbabwe. In particular we must expose all the apologists for British imperialism in the labour movement. In the coming months there will be many opportunities, especially as Zimbabweans suffer the consequences of Mugabe's victory and British workers see the results of 'British responsibility' in Africa.
Andre Robinson
Notes:
I believe the author worked at the Economist Intelligence Unit and was the author of Zimbabwe: A Revolution That Lost Its Way? (1984).
The Lord Soames (Governor of Rhodesia) referred to in the article was the father of Nicolas Soames who was purged from the Tory party this week.
I used to work with a Nigerian guy who loved telling everyone he was a Freemason and that one of his Freemason pals had put him onto a former white farmer’s farmland in Zimbabwe that was for sale.
I kept telling him that Nigerians are hated in Eastern and Southern Africa and this land probably belonged to white farmers who had been killed or exiled but he didn’t give a shit and left for Zimbabwe with £X thousands in his pocket ready to start a new life.
Got chatting to a guy at the Richmond fanzone during the last RWC. Nice bloke. Was from Zimbabwe - supporting the Springboks, had a good working farm, nice 4x4's and a good life. One day some government f*ckers turned up at his place, told him he and his family had to go. He fled with his 2 young daughters taking only the clothes they wore. Eventually he came to the UK with the aid of family where he had to rebuild his life from nothing.
Got chatting to a guy at the Richmond fanzone during the last RWC. Nice bloke. Was from Zimbabwe - supporting the Springboks, had a good working farm, nice 4x4's and a good life. One day some government f*ckers turned up at his place, told him he and his family had to go. He fled with his 2 young daughters taking only the clothes they wore. Eventually he came to the UK with the aid of family where he had to rebuild his life from nothing.
My mate is married to one of his nieces, his been out there 20 years plus running the painted dogs foundation,spends most of his time in the bush (not hers)...surprised his still alive!!!
to be honest he was more interested in the colour of money than the colour of skin of those he was harming. land reform was more about pleasing electorate and lining his pockets than anything else
for every farm that was asset stripped there wouldve been several black families that lost their main source of income and food. loads of people starved or fled over Beitbridge to SA if they could.
its not just happening in Africa mind, I read an article about Sri Lanka they were offered a large infrastructure project the government didnt have the funds for. In stepped a chinese bank and offered them a loan to fund the project. Said project didnt yield the profits forecast meaning the government couldnt afford the loan payments and the project fell into chinese hands.
Seems a bit like the mafia's protection schtick to me
Same thing is happening in the pacific especially PNG and the Solomons. Latest racket is to be rewarded for breaking off diplomatic relations with evil Taiwan.
to be honest he was more interested in the colour of money than the colour of skin of those he was harming. land reform was more about pleasing electorate and lining his pockets than anything else
for every farm that was asset stripped there wouldve been several black families that lost their main source of income and food. loads of people starved or fled over Beitbridge to SA if they could.
Excellent point there willis1980 the black farm workers were well taken care of and the land was thriving thus earning the country the name "bread basket of Africa".Sadly its now one of the poorest most deprived places in Africa thanks to Mugabe and his hordes . What is worse if that's and happening right now is the torture and killing of White farmers in SA and without any help from abroad its shocking and revolting if anybody read the articles.The ruling party ANC openly encourages this practice and justify it by saying its their right to take the lands by violent means .
I used to work with a Nigerian guy who loved telling everyone he was a Freemason and that one of his Freemason pals had put him onto a former white farmer’s farmland in Zimbabwe that was for sale.
I kept telling him that Nigerians are hated in Eastern and Southern Africa and this land probably belonged to white farmers who had been killed or exiled but he didn’t give a shit and left for Zimbabwe with £X thousands in his pocket ready to start a new life.
He’s a cabbie in Croydon now.
Another failure of the EU Emigration Policy, then?
Rot in hell, Mugabe. If he wasn't the most corrupt man on the face of the earth, it wasn't for want of trying.
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