| From: | "Jim Yarker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> |
| To: | [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
| Subject: | SACP on Zimbabwe |
| Date: | Wed, 20 Mar 2002 09:48:50 -0500 |
20 March 2002
SACP STATEMENT ON ZIMBABWE
Over the last few years, the South African Communist Party (SACP)
has closely observed and studied developments in Zimbabwe.
The SACP has been extremely concerned about the unacceptable levels
of intimidation, violence, abuse of state resources, and the enactment of
repressive laws since the Zimbabwean parliamentary elections in 2000.
The SACP has also been equally concerned about the centrality of the
land question in Zimbabwe, and the need for all stakeholders not to be
misdirected away from constructive discussion on the practical tasks
facing the people of Zimbabwe and the role South Africa in particular
must play.
In our view, developments in Zimbabwe since the late 1980s represent
an intensification of what has been an ongoing harassment of progressive
trade unions, media, student and other social movement forces.
The instability in Zimbabwe must be seen against the background of
deepening poverty, unemployment, land hunger and general social distress
after a decade of punitive structural adjustment measures demanded by the
IMF and World Bank, and implemented by a government which showed
signs of increasing bureaucratisation and remoteness from its mass base.
The gathering economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is impacting
negatively on poor and working people in that country as well as on the
economies and people of other Southern African countries, and could impede
efforts to promote regional cooperation in Southern Africa.
As the SACP, we believe that all Southern African countries have a
responsibility to constructively and carefully engage all forces in Zimbabwe
towards national unity and reconciliation. We condemn and reject the
self-serving recklessness with which Western countries, Britain in
particular, are demanding sanctions and the isolation of Zimbabwe as if the
problems in Zimbabwe are limited to the difficult conditions which prevailed
in the 2 year run-up to the elections. We also strongly reject attempts to
turn South Africa into a +ACI-nanny+IB0- of Zimbabwe on behalf of
Western countries. Zimbabwe is an independent country and not the 10th
province of South
Africa.
While the recent land invasions had more to do with electoral maneouvering
than the pursuit of a programme of thorough-going transformation, the long
delayed resolution of the land question remains absolutely central in
Zimbabwe. This requires the decisive implementation of a far-reaching land
reform programme and international support for such a programme.
The return, control, ownership and productive use of the land by the people
is the key grievance, essence and original demand of the people
Zimbabwe and their struggle against colonialism. A thorough-going land reform
programme is the key obligation and issue to which the Western countries
and Britain in particular must respond to. Britain must not be allowed to
run away from this obligation on the pretext of the negative developments since
the 2000 parliamentary elections.
Therefore the SACP calls on the Zimbabwean government to ensure that the
rule of law prevails, and that an environment conducive to the advancement
of the basic rights to freedom of association, free and fair political
activity and freedom of statement takes place.
Whatever the competing electoral trajectories were, and whatever
the outcome of the elections, the SACP believes that it is time for all
progressive forces on all sides in Zimbabwe to pursue a strategic
convergence around a shared vision of reconstruction and development,
including, in particular, land reform and the stamping out of corruption
and bureaucratisation.
This requires co-operation and national reconciliation. In the circumstances,
any attempts to cause a stalemate over the outcome of the elections will
further divide and polarise the motive forces of the struggle in Zimbabwe.
The unemployed and suffering rural masses need to work together and be
united with their urban sisters and brothers in a struggle to reconstruct and
develop Zimbabwe in their common interests. In pursuit of this outcome, the
SACP will inter-act with the ANC and COSATU, and key political and social
forces in Zimbabwe.
It is within this overall context then that the SACP understands and
appreciates that millions of Zimbabweans came out to vote in their numbers
and made their choices and expressed their collective will under extremely
difficult conditions. The resilience and commitment displayed by the people
of Zimbabwe has been critical in understanding the elections as legitimate.
In Southern Africa+IBk-s recent history, we witnessed massive violence,
killings
of thousands of people, intimidation and repression from the apartheid
regime in its attempts to block the South West African People+IBk-s
Organisation
and the African National Congress from electoral victories in Namibia and
South Africa respectively. With everything said and done, it was important,
in the circumstances, to appreciate the resilience and commitment of the
people of Namibia and South Africa in legitimately expressing their choice
and collective will.
Without doubt, the elections were held under difficult and extremely
problematic conditions. In today+IBk-s circumstances, we therefore
believe that the attention and focus of all stakeholders must be directed
towards the tasks at hand in Zimbabwe, as outlined above.
To do otherwise would be to play to the agenda of Western countries
which would rather leave the land question as it was in colonial Rhodesia
and who do not want to advance the building of a democratic and
progressive state and society in Zimbabwe.
CONTACT
Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel +IBM- 011 339 3621+ADs- Fax +IBM- 011 339 4244+ADs-
Cell +IBM- 083 651 0271
Email +IBM- sacp1+AEA-wn.apc.org+ADs- Website +IBM- www.sacp.org.za
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - live college hoops coverage
