WHEN Cecil Rhodes marched into Zimbabwe in 1890 he was not quite playing the conventional imperialist. He claimed the territory not for a crown but for a company: his British South Africa Company.
One aspect of this is well known. Rhodesia's status as a self-governing settler colony is what has prevented successive British governments from eftecting a smooth decolonisation. This is one reason why we are faced with Ine task of building a solidarity movement.
But there is another side to the history of Rhodesia which is more easily obscured - the dominant role of British capital. It is conventionally assumed that this declined insignificance UDI imposition of sanctions. Yet on the contrary, British investments have multiplied over the past 14 years. Subservient It is routinely claimed that British LOVCHIHCILS subservient multinational capital, but it is worth remembering just multinational interests Zimbabwe: Turner and Newall, BAT, Stewart. and Lloyds, GKN, Dunlop, ICI, British Électric Traction and above all RTZ and Lonrho. The list reads like a roll call of British capitalism - and to it can be added substantial government through British Steel Corporation.
To talk about the primacy of interests policy is theretore not just a truism; it is the fundamental fact in understanding the situation. Equally, however, the interests imperialist capital do not coincide in important instances with those of the white settler minority. That, indeed, is the cause of the Anglo-Rhodesian conflict.
Yet all too often it is assumed that the solidarity movement can simply put an equals sign between the Tories and Ian Smith. No wonder so many on the left • were wrongfooted Thatcher's "turnaround' at Lusaka.
Imperialist capital's need for a settlement in Zimbabwe flows from the many problems posed by UDI. Clearly the status quo is not adequate. Sanctions and exchange Lucasult have affected THE MOVES to set up a Workers Party in Brazil are featured in the latest Press/Inprecor INSUC of (Vol 17, Intercontinental Other articles cover assessments or Lice situation in Kampuchea, concessions forced on the Khomeini regime in Iran, etc.
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Socialist Challenge demonstrators all will converge on companies' South African increasing against its own population.
of the continent.
Inese are which guide makers in both major parties in Washington. justice for the and the those are in GEC, stakes and the over of company exemplifies the interest' of Understanding: offers richer backward-looking sections the strange by same time, controi Africa community at large.
That settlement sought by No 40). 1975 and South African military the Angola shortly afterwards. Transfer plus Two approaches Cheques/POs already realised solution 8 November 1979 International Marxist Group.
freedom operate. companies operations their The regime is losing a war Above all, the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe carries the threat of mass upsurge and social revolution throughout the whole southern part the considerations mainstream policy- the - and Neither concern for Zimbabwean people nor the racist banalities of their 'kith and kin' have anything to do with it.
like Lonrho 'enlightened selicapitalism. that Black Africa pickings than the white colony, Lonrho has established close relations Ine Ineration movement and their backers. Hence partnership "Tiny' Rowland and Joshua Nkomo. At the of course, has reservations about continuing to do business with the settler regime.
The Lonrhos of this world hope for a settlement which avoids the dangers of complete social overturn therefore large elements ol the existing state will remain intact - but Africa is acceptable to i therational precisely the sort of and American governments ever since the defeat of Portuguese colonialism in the discomfiture of the machine in were adopted.
Henry Kissinger sold lan Smith the idea of the 'internal settlement' - a peaceful and purely nominal transfer of powerto compliant ex-nationalist leaders. But the British government that no stable was possible without the September, puts the viewpoint of the Patriotic Front.
While the two tactics momentarily seemed compatible at the conference in late 1976, impossibility of compromise between the unmodified white regime and the Patriotic Front was obvious, and the talks broke down The eventual product of breakdown was a new initiative from the British Labour government and Carter administration, followed soon afterwards by consummation of the settlement'. Misleading propaganda from supporters of both schemes has concealed the fundamental similarity between the two.
Both allow for the retention of the existing police, judiciary and civil service. In neither is there any role for guerilla armies settlement. The 4. per cent population gets 20 per cent of the parliamentary situation' Geneva the that Angio-American plan, 2o per cent under the 'internal settlement'.
I he guarantees against expropria the tion and land reform in the 'internal 'internal settlement' constitution are matched by 'protection property' In the proposals.
split other.
from deprivation of Anglo-American troops The similarities are striking and were not The difference Once again the British maintained would work Patriotic Front, and this Britain should difficulty, The perceptive underline the proposals Zimbabwe settlement (the idea Front Kissinger) to settlement, help trying to solution.
(It should be noted, incidentally, ZANU and ZAPU apart, incorporating one and ditching the In addition imperialist policymakers have always envisaged the need to liquidate the threat of guerilla fighters who will not accept a neo-colonial settlement. That would be one of the prime tasks of foreign sent supervise any The Tory government has never at any point deviated from the essential tenets of the Anglo-American plan.
of the first things Lord Carrington did as Foreign Secretary - even before meeting Muzorewa in London in July - was to despatch Lord Harlech to sound out the leaders of the front line states and (though received less publicity)
Patriotic Front.
One of the main aims of successive has been to recognise an acceptable regime Zimbabwe and lift sanctions.
commentators assumed that when Thatcher said she would do just that this signalled a major turn.
But though the Tories may well at Rhodesian excluding the Patriotic that is why the Lancaster House conterence is importan they would not do so without first fina a more satistactory The Lusaka "turnaround . was just such an attempt
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anti-racist over the country
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