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Movements back agrarian reforms LIBERATION movements and pan-African movements in the Diaspora have come out in full support of Zimbabwe’s land reform programme and called for unity of purpose among themselves to economically develop the continent. In a communiqué read at the end of the Zanu-PF External Relations Conference by Mr Tiryenje Kaunda of Zambia’s United National Independence Party, the movements applauded the land reform programme as an illustrious example and precedent to be followed by displaced peoples to reclaim their heritage. "We believe that land is a God-given heritage that should go back to its rightful owners. "Historical crimes committed by colonial powers should be addressed expediently to ensure that restitution is achieved in the indigenous and displaced communities. "We, therefore, believe that the developments in Zimbabwe have been a guiding light for other nations. "We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe in their land reform programme, indigenisation of the economy and empowerment of the rural masses. "We urge Zanu-PF to continue on this path which will ultimately lead the nation to economic liberation," the liberation parties said. They recommended that the Zimbabwe Govern-ment embark on a pan-African education exercise to provide the true information and background on the land reform programme so as to increase the levels of understanding and comprehension of the programme by other nations on the continent. They noted the immense propaganda power "our detractors have at their disposal, with their highly intoxicating media". The liberation war movements said while political independence had been achieved, there was now need to pursue economic independence. They bemoaned the continued control of natural resources by colonial forces, which in many cases continued to own and control most of the resources. "We condemn the lingering racism of white settlers and their descendants on the African continent and their continued attempts to control African economies. "We denounce the racist regimes in Australia, Britain, New Zealand and the United States which are exploiting minorities in favour of global capitalist ideals. "We find their regimes hypocritical and as the greatest enemies of democracy, world peace and economic justice," read the communiqué. A mental decolonisation, the liberation movements said, was needed in the African and indigenous communities to reassert national pride and to promote indigenous values and ideals which have been eroded by Western capitalist ideals. African nations should develop their own systems of homegrown democracy which need not be aligned with Western models of democracy. "We believe that democracy is a very African principle and we should have confidence in our own systems of democratic governance," they said. The liberation movements said there was need to ensure that it was not the elite and petty bourgeoisie that benefited to the detriment of the masses. "We must adhere to equity, fairness, impartiality and transparency. We need urgently to empower the rural poor, who need to be equipped with the knowledge and physical tools to enable them to be self-reliant. "Redistribution of land is an excellent way of ensuring that the rural poor will have access to the means of production. We need to provide resources for them to be able to fully utilise this land and to achieve maximum productivity." There was great need for networking and solidarity among liberation movements and between them and the progressive world to harness their potential to achieve gains of the continued struggle. There was need for deep co-operation between Africans at home and those in the Diaspora. "All liberation movements, comrades and friends of the struggle should play their individual roles to counter the lies and deceptions of the Western media by providing the true picture of Africa to the rest of the world. "All Africans at home and in the Diaspora are challenged to increase investment, tourism and trade with Africa, which will create jobs and add value to the raw materials of Africa," the liberation parties said. In separate interviews, representatives of the Black United Front, the December 12 Movement and Australian Aborigines said it was particularly important for liberation movements in Africa and those in the Diaspora to unite since they were fighting a common enemy. Cde Coltrane Chimurenga of the December 12 Movement said the issue of land that ex-liberation parties were trying to address could not be separated from the issue of reparations that they were pursuing as pan-Africanist movements representing 40 million black people in the United States. "We have been fighting against the worst international atrocity against humanity just as the liberation wars were waged against the oppressors. "Now that we are waging the second phase liberation war, the liberation of our economies, which involves the redistribution of land, we are also waging our own war for reparation. Whether we will actually succeed or not will be another matter. These two struggles should never be separated," he said. He called on ex-liberation parties to take a leaf from Zimbabwe when dealing with the issue of economic independence. "Africa is the motherland because that is where our land is and it should be liberated by all means necessary," he said. Cde Chimurenga said Zimbabwe was now leading the pan-Africanist movement for the redistribution of land and should have a programme of action to counter external aggression since it was the central target because of its land redistribution programme. He ex-liberation war parties should also unite with the pan-Africanist movements because of the manoeuvres being made by the oppressors who were seeking to use the African people in the Diaspora to influence the continued oppression of Africans and aggression against African countries. "As African children in the Diaspora, we should retaliate by attacking the enemy when he is at his weakest. This is the case in the United Kingdom where Mr Tony Blair is isolated because of Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war. "His only ally is the United States and it is important that African children in that part of the Diaspora strike now," said Cde Chimurenga. Mr Michael Anderson, an Australian Aboriginal activist and founder of the Sovereign Union of Aboriginal Nations and People of Australia, told AFP: "(President) Mugabe is not doing any more than what a lot of indigenous people are asking for around the world. "They want self-determination, they want return of the lands, control of their natural resources," he said. Cde Esther Stanford of the Black United Front of the United Kingdom said as a black movement in the Diaspora, they were fighting against oppression from Western governments just as was the case with the ex-liberation parties. She said that some of the forms of oppression that they had to deal with was denial of access of black children into the educational systems overseas and efforts by the Western governments to instill their values in black youths who are taken and put in institutions where they are taught Western values. "Most of our youths make up the bulk of inmates in jails overseas, but we should remember that these are African children and together we can overcome the struggle which begins with us restructuring our values. "The struggle is not about changing places with the oppressor, but what we seek is justice, justice for the blood, sweat and tears for those who went before us," she said. The secretary-general of the World Assembly of Youths, Mr Donald Charumbira, said the role of the youths was to get educated in order to lead the economic and social emancipation of Africa. "The new generation should be prepared to sacrifice short-term gratification in the interest of advancing our struggle for economic and social emancipation," he said. He said for this to be achieved there was need for youths to be fed with appropriate ideology that would give meaning and purpose to their lives. He said today’s youths were living in an era devoid of ideology which is in contrast to the days of communism and the liberation struggle when youths had a sense of meaning and purpose. Many of the youths of that era dedicated their lives to achieve the ideals of both communism and the liberation struggle, he said. "For the young people in the Diaspora, nationalism and pan-Africanism are ideologies which we need to take to heart for Africa to prosper. "We need to urgently revitalise the spirit of both ideologies in the youths so that we are proud to be Africans and to represent our various nationalities," he said. Dr Barnaba Benjamin of the Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement, who presented a paper on international relations and globalisation, said countries in Africa needed to analyse the concept with the utmost circumspection. He said that it was equally important for countries to come up with their own positions before engaging in globalisation in order to counter its effect in the continent. "While we still have processes such as Nepad (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) in Africa, globalisation is no longer a process. "In dealing with globalisation we need to know who our friends are, our history and where we wish to go, because it is essential that Africans pool their resources together to counter the impact of globalisation," he said. The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
