Socialist Worker (zimbabwe) February 2009

Socialist Worker February 2009 Quarterly Newspaper of the International Socialist Organisation Zimbabwe Registered at the GPO as a Newspaper P.O Box 6758 Harare [email protected]

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Say No to a Government of National Unity! Say No to Kariba Draft Constitution ! Fight for fresh elections under a new people driven constitution ISO has consistently argued for the last few years that the poor and working people would pay dearly if they naively followed the false calls for “change” championed by MDC and its imperialist-supported civic society allies and subordinated their organizations to the same. We called for the urgent establishment of a radical and anti-neoliberal united front of working people’s organizations, to spearhead the struggle even when the opposition leadership eventually sold out. We argued that MDC was preparing for a sell out deal with Zanu PF as a junior partner and that Mugabe was now ready to accept this. Three years ago, we wrote “the perspective of a government of national unity between the opposition and Zanu PF is shared by the elites now dominant in the ruling party, in the two main opposition parties and local and international capitalists. Their main efforts, despite current disagreements are driven towards achieving such goal, as an instrument in pre-emptying social revolution in an important periphery capitalist state sent into mortal crisis by the failure of neo-liberal capitalism…” And that for MDC – “its primary preoccupation is towards reaching a sell out agreement with the Zanu PF dictatorship that will not benefit the poor and working people …(that) the opposition is dominated by the petite bourgeois elite, who long ago prostrated themselves before western neo-liberal forces and are now eager to get into state power, even as junior partners, and accumulate as a neo-colonial dependent capitalist class.” And for Zanu PF that – “Zanu PF elites now want the peace to grow and launder the wealth acquired in the last decade but cannot do so in the context of a crisis ridden state under siege from the west… (and that) despite his rhetoric, Mugabe is now ready to capitulate and enter into an elitist compromise deal with the MDC, the west and business. But only after the 2008 elections, which he hopes to use to legitimize his party’s claim to being the senior partner…” Our warnings have now come to pass with Tsvangirai and MDC’s agreeing to finally join Mugabe in a so-called “all inclusive government” and parliament unanimously passing Constituional Amendment No 19 and the massively neoliberal 2009 Budget and Monetary Policy

issued by the regime. Under the deal Tsvangirai becomes prime minister whilst Mugabe chairing a Council of Ministers and with the opposition having 16 to Zanu PF’s 15 Ministers. The deal mandates a constitutional reform process that will lead to a referendum and new constitution in eighteen months time, overseen by a Parliamentary Select Committee.

7 Reasons to Oppose GNU and Amendment 19/ Kariba Draft Constitution Process Understandably many ordinary people out of desperation have welcomed the deal as possibly giving them some relief from the current suffering. But despite these there are many reasons why working people must oppose the GNU and continue with the struggle against the Zanu PF dictatorship... With time, as hardships accelerate under dollarisation and the neoliberal policies of the GNU, most people will come to oppose it. 1. The losers of the March 2008 elections retain most of the power, with Mugabe remaining the head of state and government and Tsvangirai, leader of the victorious party, reduced to slightly above a ceremonial role. 2. Mugabe remains in the driving seat and MDC the junior spanner boy – which is why the western countries are unhappy. Mugabe remains the head of state and government with authority to appoint ministers, chair cabinet, dissolve parliament, declare war, enter into international treaties, assent to legislation and appoint or dismiss key state officials like the service chiefs, judges, RBZ governor, ambassadors and permanent secretaries. This is why he has already re-appointed G. Gono governor of the Reserve Bank for another five years. All he is required to do is to consult the Prime Minister but not necessarily agree with him. 3. The deal leaves Mugabe in charge of the key security ministries and state agencies and leaves the generals in the Joint Operations Command in power, meaning if the Zanu PF regime can always throw out the deal if it no longer suits it t it has used MDC enough. 4. Decisions in cabinet have to be made by consensus, thereby neutralizing the opposition’s numerical advantage. 5. The GNU creates an overbloated and expensive coalition government and parliament with over 50 ministers and deputy ministers; and nearly 300 MPs and Senators, when the country is facing its worst economic

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crisis. So happy were MDC-T MPs with passing of Amendment 19, shouting “tapinda tapinda.” (we too are now in). 6. The GNU is based on a neoliberal free market economic policy that will bring untold suffering to the working people whilst giving huge luxuries to the rich and the capitalists. Adoption of such free-market policies is one of the fundamental preconditions demanded by the western countries led by the USA and Britain to support the deal. Both parties support this and already the regime has unleashed an all out neoliberal war on the poor and working people through its 2009 National Budget and Monetary Statement. 7. The GNU is pushing an undemocratic, neoliberal and elitist constitution and constitutional process on Zimbabwe with a constitution written by politicians and the elites, with civic society and ordinary people reduced to a rubber-stamping role. The political parties will fast track their Kariba Draft Constitution on the people. Whilst massively protecting the interests of the rich and business including their right to property, it leaves out labour and social economic rights of the ordinary people like the right to health, education, food, housing and drugs and care for those affected with AIDS/HIV, to fair labour practices like the right to a living wage and to strike; the right to for traders to earn a living including state support and freedom from police harassment.

Way Forward: Reject GNU and Kariba Draft Constitution process Although the elites have come with a temporary ceasefire deal, their GNU is shaky politically and economically. The Zanu PF dictatorship is not interested in genuine power sharing, which is why it has reappointed its brutal economic czar, Reserve Bank governor Gono for another five years and retained so much power. Economically given the reluctant western imperialist support and a growing world recession, the prospects for economic recovery remain slim, thereby perpetuating social and political tensions. Finally the ordinary people have no choice but to fight back against the massive attacks on their living conditions arising from dollarization and liberalization. For these reasons, progressive social movements, trade unions, student unions, and civic groups must not call for ceasefire and have naïve illusions in the deal or the Kariba Constitution process. Some elitist and pro-MDC NGOs are trying to persuade, bribe and bull doze civic society to give a chance to the GNU and its politician driven constitutional process saying we can improve on this. Reject this. If the engine is defective the car can never move. The whole deal and the Kariba process stink and anti-people. It cannot be improved. Insist on the constitutional process laid out in the Peoples Charter, which calls for a completely new people driven All Stakeholders Conference, which will lay out the process for constitutional reform. Now is not the time to patch up a bogus and anti-people deal, but to accelerate the struggles against the illegitimate regime and its neoliberal economic policies as is already being done by university students, teachers, lecturers and railway and water workers. United we can overcome the dictatorship and convene fresh elections under a new democratic and people driven constitution, that brings both political democracy and addresses bread and butter demands of life as we have seen in constitutions in Venezuela and Bolivia. Such powerful reforms can set the foundations for the much more critical struggle against the very system of capitalism itself, which breeds poverty and dictatorship, and instead fight for true human emancipation, socialism. But to ensure progress it is imperative that there be the urgent regroupement in a united front of the radical, anti-neoliberal and left forces, including organized labour. To avoid the treachery we experienced in the popular frontist Peoples Convention, which was dominated by the imperialist funded and controlled groups, it is essential that there be a serious shake-out and split of civic society between the militant, serious and pro-working people anti-neoliberal movements opposing the elitist Kariba Draft process and the opportunistic, cowardly and imperialist funded and controlled ones which want to hijack civic society movements to support the elitist and neoliberal GNU and Kariba Draft Constitution processes.

National Civil Society Constitutional Conference Say no to compromises with the elitist GNU and Kariba Constitution Process… Defend the Peoples Charter! We in the International Socialist Organisation extend revolutionary greetings to all attending the National Civil Society Constitutional Conference in Harare on 6th February 2009. The conference comes at a critical time, when former colleagues in the opposition have sadly but predictably entered into a bogus and elite political settlement as junior partners of a dictatorship that was resoundingly rejected by the electorate in the last elections. This unity of politicians, has finally allowed the state to unleash the barbaric and savage war on the poor and ordinary people long demanded by Gono, business, capitalists, the IMF and the imperialists, namely full dollarization and economic liberalization as a way out of the economic crisis. The 2009 National Budget and RBZ Monetary Statement, constitute the fundamental economic pillars of the “inclusive government” about to be set, and the necessary condition for its support by the business, capitalist and imperialist classes, which is why they have been welcomed by all the major political parties. The remaining political pillar of this continuing brutal regime, will be a constitution imposed from above and one which protects the interests of the politicians, the business people and elites in general whilst suppressing true democracy and the bread and butter demands of ordinary people such as are included in the Peoples Charter. This will be achieved through Constitutional Amendment No 19 and the Kariba Draft Constitution, where there will be a pretence of consulting the people through a politician and parliament run Select Committee and All Stake Holders Conference and Referendum. We call on delegates to this Conference to reject this blatant betrayal of the people and democratic struggle being attempted by the political parties, the capitalists, imperialists and their well-paid lackeys and boot lickers in sections of civic society. We must remain resolute with the position we took at the Peoples Convention and contained in section 3 of the Peoples Charter demanding a full and genuine people driven constitutional reform process involving all stakeholders, followed by a referendum and fresh elections. We must totally reject any calls for compromises under Article 6 of the GPA calling for a parliament select committee run process, which is a trap by opportunists to sell out our struggle. A flawed process will produce a flawed product. We must also reject any attempt o keep the constitutional process limited only to the Kariba, Chidyausiku or NCA drafts. The first two are barbarous undemocratic and neoliberal documents that do not include our bread and butter demands. Whilst progressive the NCA draft, needs to be added to by including later developments like the bread and butter demands in our Peoples Charter and from constitutions in countries like Venezeuala and Bolivia. Finally to spearhead the struggle forward against the elitist GNU, Kariba Constitution process and its neoliberal attacks on the poor, we call for all forces that oppose the elitist deal and the Kariba Constitution process to use the opportunity of this conference to urgently establish a truly democratic, radical and anti-neoliberal united front that is transparent and inclusive. Let the civic society lackeys of the GNU, the capitalists and imperialists; proceed with their betrayals without pretending to speak for all of us. We must reject undemocratic practices where a few individuals and groups use their access to donor money to arbitrarily and unilaterally run the affairs of all of civic society without being accountable to anyone. We cannot demand democracy against the regime when we do not practice the same in our own yards. Comrades struggle beckons… we have nothing to lose other than our chains and tears! Say no to GNU and Amendment 19!… Smash Neoliberalism and Capitalism! Viva Socialism! ISO: 6th February 2009, Harare

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Dollarisation and Neoliberalism: The economic framework underlying the Inclusive Government The ISO has argued for the last five years that the economic policies of the leaders who now dominate both MDC and Zanu PF are the same, namely to try and get out of the Zimbabwe crisis through full blown free-market policies or neoliberalism that will savage the poor. Thus MDC’s Bridge programme, according to MDC policy chief, Eddie Cross, received an A+ from the IMF whilst Zanu PF’s March 2008 elections manifesto promised an acceleration of free market policies after the elections. And indeed, Mugabe’s economic czar, RBZ Governor G Gono, like Cross, in his latest Monetary Statement also claimed full compliance with the prescriptions of the IMF. We have therefore consistently argued that given the crisis of leadership in the working classes, this convergence on ideological positions made an elitist settlement between the three main parties, supported by business and the imperialists, the most likely scenario in the resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis. That the poor and working people and their organizations would pay dearly if they naively followed the false calls for “change” championed by MDC and its imperialist-supported civic society allies and subordinated their organizations to the same. Instead we called for the urgent establishment of a radical anti-neoliberal united front to spearhead the struggle. Our warnings have now come to pass. Following on Tsvangirai and MDC’s acceptance of joining the GNU with Zanu PF, at the end of January, the regime introduced a Budget and Reserve Bank Monetary Policy that would have made Bernard Chidzero, the god-father of neoliberalism in Zimbabwe who introduced SAP in 1989, proud. With the political elites now united, in what NCA chairperson, Dr Madhuku calls, “a return to the one party state,” the elites are now confident to launch an all out savage war on workers, the unemployed, informal traders, students, residents, peasants - the poor in general through a turn to full neo-liberalism. Indeed the regime’s mouthpiece, The Herald, is completely open and proud of what is happening. It unashamedly titles its special supplements on the Budget and RBZ Monetary Policy: “Budget 2008: Liberalised economy proposed” -

“RBZ Statement: RBZ liberalises economy.”

fully complied with in the RBZ Statement and Budget. The four were: -

“Substantial fiscal adjustment, including the termination of all quasi-fiscal activities by the Reserve Bank…

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Liberalisation of price controls and imposition of hard budget constraints on public enterprises ..(i.e. dollarizing services offered by the state and removal of all subsidies)

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Exchange rate unification and removal of all restrictions on making payments and transfers for current international transactions…(i.e. dolLarising and letting the value of the Zim dolar be determined by the market.)

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Establishment of a strong nominal anchor for monetary policy. (i.e. state revenue based on the real economy.)”

The bosses’ paper, Zimbabwe Independent, endorsed the same, announcing, “2009 Budget: Govt drops populist policies.” Same with long time bourgeois economic critic of the regime, John Robertson, who came out on state TV saying Gono had exceeded business’ expectations. Indeed, the dollarization and gathering pace of full liberalization signals the growing rapprochement between the capitalist elites and the political elites, in a manner that capitalist media baron, Trevor Ncube, long called for in 2003. In mid-December 2008, all the major business associations jointly issued a statement warning of imminent economic collapse unless the economy was liberalized and dollarized and a political settlement found between Zanu PF and MDC. The regime has responded positively to this fully in the Budget and RBZ Statement, both drawing heavily from the proposals made by the bosses’ body of CZI. This is also why it did not rush to unilaterally form a government.

Of course they took their cue from Gono himself who is quite open and proud about this. In section 1.79 of the RBZ Statement, entitled “TAKING ON BOARD THE IMF AND ITS ADVICE” he describes the IMF as a “well meaning centre of excellence”! and that “the IMF, in its latest evaluation of our situation, dated 13 January, 2009, described Zimbabwe’s situation as grave, and prescribed the following way forward…” He then specified the four fundamental requirements that the IMF had insisted on, all of which he

Thus working people must therefore fully understand that the fundamental economic policy underlying the “inclusive government” is dollarization and neoliberalism, that is “government by people exclusion” and that the coming in of MDC strengthens and not reduces this. The same ideology underlies all other key pillars of the GNU, such as the Draft Kariba Constitution .. and this is why we must reject both and fight for a socialized economy and democratic state with an anti-neoliberal people driven constitution that guarantees the kind of labour and socio-economic rights we have in the Peoples Charter.

claimed were now “non-issues anymore” as they had been

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Dollarisation – The elites’ Law of the Jungle short term solution Dollarization and liberalization of the economy is the law of the jungle or survival of the fittest, that our rulers have opted for to try and prevent an economic implosion and possible social implosion, social revolution or failed state. The objective is to reduce the economy to that sector that can generate or access the foreign currency necessary to keep business and the state alive in the immediate term. That sector is roughly about a third of our population and active economic society. Its primary sectors include large capitalists in commerce and retail, banking and finance and mining and limited areas in manufacturing and agriculture; state and local authority parastatals that provide essential production services like water, electricity, communications, energy, education etc; politicians, senior state burecrats and civic society NGOs. A small and secondary sector includes workers in the dollarized businesses and parastatals; persons receiving remittances from relatives and friends in the diaspora and a declining section of informal traders. This sector receives the smallest amounts, barely enough for survival. The above are the sections to which the formal economy, the state and the services they provide are being reduced to. In the short-term this will probably ensure survival of the basic features of the economy and state, as we already see with the fully re-stocked shelves of supermarkets and shops. Anyone else who does not fit in, probably up to two thirds or more of our population, will have to go to the rural areas, flee to South Africa, Botswana etc or somehow attempt to survive at the edges of society in the new slums that will inevitably resurface through petty subsistent informal trading, criminal activities, prostitution and begging and charity from some humanitarian NGOs. This means students will drop out of or be forced from dollarized schools, colleges and universities; the sick dying at home like flies; workers retrenched in their thousands or being paid dollarized wages, barely enough for survival; residents being evicted from their lodgings or having their water and electricity cut for failing to pay the dollarised rates and tariffs; the poor and workers walking tens of kilometers unable to afford dollarised combis; informal traders will have goods confiscated by ZRP or municipal police or swamped out of business by cheap huge imports and many resettled farmers being evicted and replaced by productive white farmers and politicians from both parties. Similarly those companies that cannot survive the new competition and dollarization will be allowed to collapse, principally in most sections of manufacturing and elements

of the agriculture sector, but also many small to medium businesses across the board. Similarly the cross-border informal trade that has sustained many working class families is going to be swamped with the massive cheap imports now coming into the country. Through savage policies that condemn more than two thirds of our population to total and unprecedented poverty, do our rulers seek their immediate survival. And even in the absence or failure of the GNU, the Mugabe regime was/is going ahead with this, reflecting that the neoliberal rightwing section of Zanu PF has triumphed over the statecapitalist or commandist wing that Mugabe has traditionally favoured. Moreover by acceding to the demands of the local capitalists and imperialists to liberalise the Mugabe dictatorship hopes to undercut the cross class unity that has supported the MDC, especially from the bourgeoisie. But a GNU is the best framework for the elites to deal with the economic crisis as well as address the political crisis, including the Mugabe succession question. So the coming year is going to be a very difficulty year for ordinary people as well as genuine left or anti-capitalist movements and trade unions. Their very survival is going to be put into question in a manner that we have yet to encounter in this country, due to a number of pressures, including: acceleration of pauperization of the membership; further exodus of cadres; growing pressures to dilute radical politics in favour of reformist politics favoured by the monied NGOs; growing tensions and opportunist fights in organisations around financial and resource issues and growing difficulties in running offices or producing propaganda and educational materials.

International Socialist Organisation meetings If you like what you have read or want to know more about us , you are welcome to our fortnightly meetings as follows:

Harare: branches in: Budiriro-Glen View; Mbare; Highfields; and Chitungwiza Bulawayo Mutare Kadoma Masvingo

Fridays 5pm Saturdays 2pm Saturdays Fridays

For details on venues and topics please write to PO Box 6758 or phone (04)704209, 0912-908847, e-mail: [email protected] website: http://isozim.blogspot.com

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Dollarisation not adequate solution for crisis However, it is not all that certain that this policy of our rulers will automatically succeed in the short term and certainly its prospects are very dim in the medium to long term. Dollarisation and liberalization attacks such huge sections of the population and in such a severe manner as likely to lead to major outburst of revolts and rebellion, that can only be contained through repression and in the absence of alternative leadership. Politically, the GNU remains unstable given the open hostility of the western imperialists to it, given that it leaves too much power with Mugabe. Thus, the sanctions will only be partially and gradually lifted until the imperialists are convinced. Their lackeys in most civic groups will pursue a similar line.

organizing themselves into committees to negotiate with landlords on rents as well as resisting evictions, and both groups resisting arbitrary and steep rates increases by the councils, as we saw done by Zanu PF militants in the run up to the June 2008 “elections.” Similarly protests around water and electricity cuts are possible as we have seen in Soweto, as are protests against arbitrary and steep increases in school and college fees and eviction of students. The same could apply to the right to health by the AIDS/HIV movements. At those workplaces still operational, dollarization may work to restore the confidence of workers to fight for living wages, in a manner that has not been possible in the last few years.

Economically, the foundations of the policy are shaky. Without sufficient forex support from the international capitalist institutions and in the context of a global recession, there will be insufficient forex inflows to sustain the programme in the medium term. Thus the GNU only partially mitigates some of the inherent dangers in the elite settlement. This will be worsened by the fact that the policy will devastate the remaining industrial base of Zimbabwe built under the protection of the import-substitution policies of the 1940s onwards, which are unlikely to be able to compete against international competititon, with already all import taxes on groceries now removed. This will turn the country into one entire supermarket of South African and Chinese firms like in Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana etc, thus draining the economy of forex instead of it circulating within where goods where locally produced, as Zanu PF state capitalist economist Jonathan Kadzura has argued. Growing economic difficulties have the possibility of massively accelerating tensions and fights between the regime and working people, and amongst different sections of the elites themselves as we have seen in Cote D’Ivore and Latin America.

Organise, build the anti-neoliberal united front and start the fight back!

Thus the dollarization and liberalization programme is a huge gamble by our rulers and the capitalists, which gamble is only premised on their calculation that the huge majority that is going to be savagely attacked is unorganized and is not going to be able to rise up and fight back. And this primarily because of the crisis of leadership in its ranks — it itself a result of naïve illusions in the middle class or opportunist leadership of MDC and many civic groups and trade unions. This therefore means that the coming year whilst likely to be very hard, will also present significant opportunities for class struggle in various forms, starting with spontaneous desperate struggles of survival from the poor. Possible battles may involve residents and the urban poor around service delivery issues such as housing, rates, water and electricity, with housing now virtually unaffordable for most because of the desperate shortage of houses after Operation Murambatsvina. Resistance can be built around lodgers

For such struggles to grow and generalize into sustainable resistance will require that serious organizations retain and train significant cadreship bases, ideologically equipped to understand and expose the real enemies of working people as the elites, and their system of neoliberalism and capitalism. This means working class organizations retaining their ideological and political autonomy not only from the dictatorship but also from such political parties and civic groups funded and run by their class enemies – the capitalists and imperialists. And not to have naïve illusions in the elitist GNU settlement of the bourgeois parties for this will not deliver working people from poverty, hunger, disease and oppression. That the only way forward is direct mass action of the oppressed and exploited, pushing for both bread and butter demands and a new people driven and anti-neoliberal constitution. And that for such actions to have real impact will require collective and united front actions of the different sections and organizations of the oppressed and poor and not micky mouse individualised actions. Thus it is imperative that we urgently establish the radical and anti-neoliberal united front, fighting for both bread and butter issues, and against the elitist and neoliberal Kariba Draft Constitution. Thus, even if it is going to be a hard year, 2009 could yet become the year of storms of resistance of working people .So struggle beckons comrades … we have nothing to lose but our chains and tears. Patrick Bond on talk shows... (A bogus GNU breaking apart; socio-economic catastrophes breaking out; Cholera breaking all borders....so is this tha optimal conference priority for Zim cdes in coming days ?I dunno ... just asking .Full support to NCA and other activists ...but hasnt constitutionalism been one of the most confusing cul-desacs for otherwise energetic Zim democrats ?}

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Urgent Solidarity Appeal ISO in Zimbabwe’s continued existence depends on the generous support of those who believe in it and appreciate the indispensable role it plays in progressive politics in the region and internationally. Time and again vigorous fundraising efforts enable us to cover the gap between our operating and interventions expenses and the small income we receive as local subscriptions. The government and capitalists of Zimbabwe have dollarised the entire economy making it extremely difficulty for the ordinary people to survive. Education, health care, accommodation and transport are all now charged in US dollars or South African Rands. More than 90% of school going children are going to drop out of school soon, HIV and AIDS patients together with Cholera patients are being left to die because they do not have US dollars to pay for drugs. Mugabe‘s Operation Murambatsvina in 2005 destroyed all working people’s houses forcing them to look for accommodation they can not afford now being charged in foreign currency. A working class paid in local Zimbabwe currency and whose majority has since left formal employment is carrying this entire burden. For the above reasons, real struggles are not very far ahead of us, struggles for basic survival of the poor in the midst of Government’s accelerated neoliberal programme .ISO seeks to spearhead residents campaigns for restoring worker’s houses which were destroyed by Murambatsvina in 2005 and as well as organizing students and workers to reject paying school fees and hospital bills in United States dollars. Now we are in another financial disaster as we have totally ran out of money for our operational and intervention expenses. Also as we discuss in this bulletin, against the current economic hardships we need to help our members establish productive cooperatives based on socialist principles of collectiveness, self-reliance and productivity. We need such intervention to provide some decent alternatives of livelihood for cadres and also is the only way we can mitigate our membership to the temptations of the NGOs and other opportunists taking advantage of poverty in the country and commodify our struggles. For donations please contact our national office on [email protected] or call +2634702409, +26311637484, +263912908847 Or make deposits the ISO-Zim Solidarity Account details as below Account Name ISO Zim Solidarity Sort Code 08-60-01 Account number 20136938 Unity T 9Brindley Place, 4 Oozells Trrust Bank Square, Birmingham, B1 2HB

11 Ways in Which Gono’s Monetary Policy and Budget amount to War on the Poor The 2009 Budget and Monetary Policy issued by Finance Minister P. Chinamasa and Reserve Bank Governor, G. Gono amount to an open declaration of war by the rich, politicians and capitalists on working people. Here are eleven reasons why you must reject these neoliberal measures: 1. The Budget and Monetary Policy are “prescriptions” from the IMF, based on free-market neoliberal policies that not only failed as ESAP in the 1990s, but have today spectacularly failed in the USA and Europe, ushering in the worst economic crisis since the 1930 Great Depression. Gono openly boasts that he has “taken on board the IMF and its advice” and that the policies are “consistent with the recommendations on policy reforms by …the IMF…” 2.

They make services and goods, which are essential for human life like food, health, education, water, shelter, and electricity, available only to those with forex. Only the rich, politicians and elites will have enough forex to pay for these.

3.

They remove price controls on all basic goods, therefore allowing capitalists, local authorities, parastatals and schools and colleges to charge exorbitant prices on basic goods and services.

4.

They remove subsidies on health, condemning those suffering from AIDS/HIV and other diseases

5.

They mean our children are being condemned into a future of illiteracy and poverty, as they will be thrown out of dollarised schools, colleges and universities.

6.

Dollarisation and liberalization will massively accelerate deindustrialisation, with many companies closing and retrenching thousands of workers, and those remaining getting peanuts. Informal traders are going to be swamped out of their livelihoods by big business.

7.

They mean many lodgers, and residents will be thrown out of rooms due to high forex rates: n water, no electricity if you cant afford.

8.

They will lead to privatization of government companies which will be sold for next to nothing to profit –driven companies belonging to politicians in partnership with giant multinationals.

9.

They steal from workers forcing them to open accounts with Gono’s friends in the banking sector who are charging exorbitant fees. The income taxes for workers are too high, whilst taxes paid by the bosses and capitalists have been slashed.

10. They provide huge subsidies for bankers, hotel and mine owners whilst taking away subsidies in education, health, water, electricity and farm inputs for ordinary people and peasants. 11. The Budget and Statement were done by persons and a government without public mandate - one that lost the March 2008 elections and remains in power by theft, violence and murder. The Budget provisions have even been applied without their having been formally approved by parliament. page 6

Civil Society National Constitutional Conference: Labour leads resistance to GNU and Kariba Draft Constitution On 6 February 2009 a coalition of civil society convened a conference to discuss the constitutional reform process with MISA, NCA, ZLHR and Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition cohosting the event. As we have always argued, the next major political process after the GNU is the constitutional question. The record 3 hour passage of Constitutional Amendment Bill No 19 whose Article 6 deals with constitutional reform shows that the political parties are not prepared to have a constitutional reform process that is people driven and participatory for the sole reason that they do not want dissenting voices on their neo-liberal agenda as a government of national unity. Civic society groups met in February 2008 under the banner of the People’s Convention and came up with a People’s Charter whose Chapter 3 has radical constitutional reforms which have been left out in the Kariba draft. The Convention had agreed to go on an all out campaign to popularize the Peoples Charter and oppose any elitist constitutional process. If this had happened by now, the civic groups would have been in a very powerful position to oppose Amendment 19 and the Kariba Draft. Yet the promise of the Peoples Convention was sabotaged by the right-wing civic groups, who used their unilateral control of the Convention’s funds and secretariat to send it into a coma whilst they went into bed with MDC-T in the talks. Now with the GNU around the corner and the right-wing NGOs looking for jobs, they resuscitate the Peoples Convention to ensure that they are not forgotten by their allies in the opposition. As usual this was done on undemocratic lines, with the masses now excluded, with representation limited to four per organization in a conference done in a five star hotel whilst organizations like ISO had to literally gate crush in, not having been invited. The planning of the conference, its agenda and speakers were all unilaterally done by a small clique of the NGOs. No wonder why a key complaint at the conference was that it had been done without the involvement of the various organisations and movements. For that reason the Women’s Coalition and WOZA refused to take up speaking positions they had been assigned, in protest. Thus from our experience from working with the right wing NGOs, especially at and after the People’s Convention last year, we have deduced that most of these forces whilst supporting the GNU want to distort the constitutional reform process by maneuvering and ensuring that the civil society does not seriously oppose the neo-liberalism implicit in the Kariba draft favored by the politicians. But we take heart from the sharp divisions which rocked the conference, which I would liken to the biblical adage of separating the wheat from the chaff. It threw the right-wingers’ schemes into disarray. On one side we had the NCA, ZCTU, ISO, Zimbabwe Labour Centre, radical movements in the Zimbabwe Social Forum including informal traders, residents, the disabled and sections of the students, radically opposing Amendment Bill 19 and the GNU whilst the usual right-wing culprits MISA, Crisis In Zimbabwe

Coalition and sections in CHRA, SST and some youths organisations (notably from the MDC) sought to neutralize the opposition to the parliament proposal and ended up resorting to haranguing and heckling progressive and radical contributions. The ISO splinter group, “New ISO”, was noticeable by their failure to take a definitive position on the key issues of the day, waffling about the need for greater publicity of the conference proceedings, as if the conference was united. Not surprising given that they were constantly in the company of the right-wingers, who had nicodemously allocated them the ISO conference seats! But that did not stop up to ten ISO comrades from attending and selling eighteen Socialist Worker newspapers and distributing a well received leaflet. We seek to encourage the unity among the radical sections of the civil society who remain resolute in defence of the Peoples Charter and believe that ideological orientation against neo-liberalism is imperative in the impending constitutional reform process. Dr. Madhuku of the NCA came out very well against Amendment 19 Bill and advocated for a people-driven and participatory process. He said historically, there have been two streams of constitution-making that is – the route favoured by the dictatorship of a constitution written by parliament on behalf of the people; and the second one that has been championed by NCA and the democratic movement of a constitution written by the people themselves through an All Stakeholders Conference. That MDC had supported this route as shown by the assault on its leaders on March 11 in 2007, which led to the SADC talks, but had now been outmanouvred by Mugabe. After the March 11 events Mugabe had sought to diffuse the rising movement by co-opting those he felt were its ring-leaders, the MDC leaders, and they had fallen in for such trap through the GNU. He said despite MDC’s going over to the Zanu PF route, the struggle will continue and added two new commandments to the ten Biblical ones, “since the people’s right to write their constitution was a God-given right, which it was a sin to give away.” Commandment 11: “Thou shall not give away your right to author a Constitution for your country.” Commandment 12: “’Though shall not be tempted by popular politicians into giving away your right to author your Constitution yourself.” Madhuku ended by declaring that whatever position the conference would come up with, the NCA would not be bound by any decision that accepted the constitutional process laid out in Article 6 of the GPA and would continue the struggle for a new constitution. ZCTU rejects GNU and Kariba Draft Constitution \However, the most radical speech at the conference was given by Lovemore Matombo, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president. He rejected the position of civic society as articulated by the chair that the civic society position was one of reluctant acceptance of the GNU but page 7

total rejection of Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement outlining the GNU constitutional process. He said the ZCTU rejected the GPA, the GNU and Kariba Draft Constitution as these were exclusive elitist measures that excluded working people. Other key points he raised were: Ï%The current political, economic and social crisis in Zimbabwe is a direct result of the neo-liberal policies of the IMF, World Bank and Zanu-PF, and had not started now or in 2007 or 1999 but with the adoption of ESAP in early 1990s. Ï%The current constitution is deficient because it does not address the problems caused by such neo-liberal policies but rather perpetuates them. Ï%Article 6 of the GPA is not acceptable and is therefore” rejected by the working people of Zimbabwe as represented by the ZCTU”. Ï%The passage and fast tracking of the Bill No 19 in both the lower and upper houses of parliament done in a record breaking 3 hours without any debate is proof that the politicians are not concerned in assessing the bill to ensure that it contains provisions which address the concerns of the people they purport to represent. Ï%The MDC was formed as a working people’s party with the mandate of correcting the wrongs brought about by neo-liberal policies such as ESAP through capitalist institutions such as the IMF and World Bank with the blessings of the ZANU-PF government. However, the party had been hijacked by elitist forces at the expense of workers who had spearheaded its formation. The MDC has now reneged on its mandate as shown by its full support of a constitutional process, which is not people-driven. Ï%The passing of Amendment Bill 19 is enough indication that the constitution the parliamentarians have in mind is the Kariba draft, which is a sure guarantee of ESAP phase 2. Just like they had done before workers would continue with their struggles, and the ZCTU is gearing for a general strike in a month’s time demanding a full living wage in forex. Comrade Matombo also made some comments worth quoting: “Some of you are supporting the Kariba Draft Constitution because your interests have been catered for…as far as you are concerned the crisis in Zimbabwe is just one of governance… we say no to this because for us the crisis is much deeper, a crisis of neoliberalism and dictatorship. And we reject the Kariba Draft because it does not include our bread and butter issues like the right to a living wage and the right to strike….” “The problem with some of us is that we want to maintain our class differences, when these no longer exist under these economic conditions. Our current economy does not distinguish us. Munhu ane PHd neane grade 7 tangofananidzwa” “. …some of us here are not worried about GNU and Article 6 because tirikuda mabasa(we want employment in the GNU framework).I am unemployed but I would rather stay that way pane kuwana basa nenzira idzodzo”

saying ‘talking is struggle’! Please please negotiations are a result of struggle and not struggle itself’’. Way Forward Contrary to the intentions of the right-wingers who had hoped to end with a “unanimous” press statement on their diluted way forward, the envisaged press conference failed to take place, as several organizations insisted that organizations go and get mandate from their members and a final meeting of leaders be done on the way forward within two weeks. We support this. We are advocating for the immediate setting up of a united front of radical civil society that will not be hoodwinked into accepting fluke democracy by the politicians or their lackeys in the right civic society groups. Let us all say no to the Kariba Draft Constitution and similar undemocratic processes. Let us push for our demands under the People’s Charter. Let us not allow some blue-eyed boys and girls of the politicians to steal our space and dictate pace as they did after the Peoples Convention in 2008. Such persons and groups have no role in any serious united front to fight for a democratic and people driven constitution. The kind of alliance that the right-wingers want is shown by some of the empty fellas who they gave leading roles at the conference but whose only job seemed to be to heckle and insult those who opposed the elitist GNU and Draft Kariba Constitution. We hope comrades like those in the NCA will this time realize who their real and true allies are, and not side, as they did in 2008 at and after the Peoples Convention, with the right-wingers whose primary objective is to co-opt and neutralize any united front that emerges as they did with the Peoples Convention. Finally we call on the radical and anti-capitalist movements to push hard for socioeconomic rights that in the Peoples Charter and beyond that guarantee the needs of the poor and down trodden. Such demands include inter-alia; ’!”The right to food security for all and basic social services like water and electricity, including subsidies and price controls on basic commodities used for all and public control of business that provide basic commodities or those that violate price control regulations”. ’!”The right to public control and ownership of assets and resources vital to the community well being of all including the realization of the socio- economic rights of the majority. ’!”The allocation of at least two thirds of national and local authority budgets to fulfill the socio-economic rights of the people”. ’!”The right to organize for the transfer of wealth and power from the haves and the elites to the commons and public through various appropriate means.” ’!”The right to unite with working people in other lands against corporate globalization, imperialism and war. by Tonderai Gramsci

“I was shocked when I attended a meeting at Crisis Coalition. I believe when one spends 3 years at the university they are expected at least to think. Imagine some people there were page 8

Strangers in the house

What we stand for Workers should beware of strangers and hijackers who have stormed into cabinet from nowhere to determine our future. They have unjustifiably become the sole beneficiaries of our blood and sweat shed over the past years of building MDC. By a glimpse of Tsvangirai‘s appointees to the cabinet one is left to ask –”but where is Makuyana, Gwiyo, Mativenga and others from the trade union movement?” These are the comrades people expected to be party of the cabinet with the hope that they will work to improve livelihoods of workers since they are from similar background too. Their exclusion from government compels workers to ask whether the MDC party is still a workers party or does it still have workers at its heart like when it was formed?

The cat has come of the sack now and its true that the MDC deliberately purged out and sidelined all those of a working class background to elevate capitalists and rich intellectuals who are now a dominant component of the party. Let us not forget that the MDC was formed by workers and students as they reacted to the adversities of ZANU PF‘s neoliberal policies particularly (ESAP) .One has to always bear in mind that and it is quite saddening now that as the leadership braces itself to be a partner in implementing the second and nastiest phase of ESAP all workers elected to parliament face the chuck despite unanimous support and faith workers have in them. Tsvangirai‘s justification for considering intellectuals and bosses for ministries being only for their administrative expertise is unacceptable and what this confirms in a way is that in any reformist party the role played by workers and other oppressed sections of the working people is belittled and confined to just a role of mere supporters and forget about taking national leadership positions. This is a wrong perception; workers can in fact society even much better than those middle classes and bosses. Tsvangirai himself can be a good example of this. In future workers should not allow this again ;once beaten twice shy. Fight to reclaim the party

Our World is not for sale!!

SOCIALISM

Capitalism is a system of exploitation, which generates inequality, crisis and war. Although workers create wealth, it is controlled and consumed by the ruling class for its own selfish interests. Socialism can only be build if the working class takes control of the wealth and democratically plan its production and distribution to meet human needs not private profits. This will eliminate all class divisions in society. Socialism from below

The working class is the most powerful class in the struggle for socialism .We stand for their alliance with all other socially oppressed classes in particular peasants and the urban poor under the leadership of workers. Socialism can only be attained by mass self-activity of workers such as strikes and demonstrations. We support trade unions as essential to the fight for workers economic and political rights. Revolution or reform

Reforms in capitalist society cannot end oppression and exploitation. Capitalism must be smashed. Contrary to what is said by middle class opposition parties, institutions like parliament, the army, the police and the courts are not neutral things that can simply be taken over by workers. Reformists fight for reforms as an end in themselves, whilst we accept reforms only in so far as they increase the confidence of the working class in order to smash the entire capitalist system. Internationalism Workers in every country are exploited by capitalism so the struggle for socialism is global .We campaign for solidarity with workers in all countries .We are internationalists because socialism is about spreading working class revolutions to all countries around the world. Opposition to oppression

Capitalism divides workers by using sexual, tribal, racial and national distinctions .the specially oppressed groups within the working class suffers the most under capitalism .We oppose the oppression of women, blacks, minority tribes –ethnic groups and gays and lesbians. We fight for real social, economic and political equality of women including access to safe, free abortion facilities. We call for an end to discrimination against gays. Revolutionary party

Socialism is the answer!!

To achieve socialism the most militant sections of the working class have to be organized in a mass revolutionary party .We are currently in the early stages of building such a party through involvement in day-to-day struggles of workers and the oppressed. All those who accept these principles are urged to join ISO . page 9

Socialist Worker STUDENTS :DON‘T MOURNORGANISE AND FIGHT BACK.. UZ Students Riot Over Outrageous Tuition Fees! The decision by the state to fully dollarise the economy has seriously affected the education system of Zimbabwe with both government and private institutions getting the nod from Gono to operate on a ruthless cost recovery basis, which has left the majority of students not affording to continue with their studies. On Tuesday 03 February 2009 the students from the University of Zimbabwe decided to take the matter into their own hands and staged a demo against a cruel decision by the university authorities to demand US400.00 as upfront fee before exams in the next week and up to US$ 1800.00, next semester. Such fees are way beyond the reach of most students the majority of whom come from working class and peasant families and will therefore be thrown out. Comrades, these attacks are not a coincidence or accidental. They are a direct product of the elitist neoliberal settlement between the three main political parties, whose underlying economic framework is the IMF-inspired neoliberal policies contained in the 2009 National Budget and RBZ Monetary Statement. Indeed it was when Tsvangirai and MDC agreed to join the socalled “inclusive government” that Reserve Bank governor, G Gono rushed in to complement the political settlement with an equally neo-liberal monetary policy. This has liberalized the economy so far such that the students, workers and the other oppressed groups from the lower class are left to the mercy of the competing market forces entrusted with our welfare at a bloodsucking cost. What this means is a total war of survival against the state and the whole system of capitalism. Below we make some suggestions on the way forward.. WAY FORWARD Ï%Direct action. Mass action, demonstrations, protests and boycotts are the way forward. There should be continued action of protest and to defend each other against victimization. Remain resolute in objecting to be charged these exorbitant fees. Education is a fundamental human right and not a privilege should therefore be funded by the state. Any amount in

contribution by students should be small, nominal and has to be agreed upon between the university authorities, parents, students, lecturers and the state. Ï% Mobilize for a national student protest to include secondary school students through ZINASU against market based education and immediate cancellation of the forex fees. Ï%Solidarity with our lectures who have gone for about two years without any real pay as well as with the support staff. The university authorities and state want to divide and set us against one another. Students, lecturers and workers must unite in this fight and not allow themselves to be divided. Salaries for teachers and workers should primarily be paid by the state. The money is there but being spent on the rich and the capitalists. Students should also extend and seek support from other movements of the poor and oppressed fighting against dictatorship, oppression and exploitation. These include the Zimbabwe Social Forum which provides the space where together with other oppressed groups such as workers, residents, HIV\AIDS activists and others we can fight this bogus Government of National Unity which is bent on bleeding us and our parents. Students must equally b eon the forefront of the struggle for a new democratic and people driven constitution that guarantees quality state funded education for all up to university.

SHINGA MUDZIDZI! PENGA MUDZIDZI! QINA MFUNDI ! By Tonderai Gramsci Join the International Socialist Organization student union at the university. Contact 704209 or 011584 329 or 0912908847 for details.