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Socialist SOCIALISTPARTY ISSUE 13, AUGUST 2021 A newsletter published by the Socialist Party, Lusaka, Zambia FREE OF CHARGE

This month’s elections #Zivotele give us a chance to change everything and build a more just and caring society

FRED M’MEMBE, incoming president, offers #realchange with the Socialist Party’s policies based on jus- tice, equity and peace. Manifesto download details and info about how to join the party are on our back page – Page 12

Zambia’s poverty is like hell on DR FRED M’MEMBE Earth, Fred INCOMING PRESIDENT M’membe says •Reflections P2 •Profile P4/5 •Virtual rallies P3/6 – Page 3

JUSTICE • EQUITY • PEACE Voting for PF is REFLECTIONS Fred M’membe ‘suicidal’ and will finish us off Govt plunged us into financial crisis

salaries, K4 billion for grant-aid- Socialist staff reporter “As a result, we see fiscal defi- Socialist Party president Fred M’membe: cit, which basically is borrowing ed institutions and K7 billion for I know there is a very rough road ahead to finance the budget, increasing government operations you have a of us . . . I will do whatever I can to end it IT WILL be suicidal for Zam- from an average of 2.5 per cent of budget deficit of K43 billion. GDP per annum, when the PF took “When Zambia was classified bians to vote back Mr Ed- in glory. It took my comrades a year and four gar Lungu and the Patriotic over, to an average of 5.4 per cent as a middle-lower income econ- We didn’t choose slavery, months to convince me to accept to lead the party Front, Socialist Party Fred of GDP per annum under Mr Sa- omy, we went to what is called and be the presidential candidate of our party in ta’s reign, to 11.7 per cent last year frontier market to borrow money capitalism chose it for us this coming election. M’membe says. under Mr Lungu’s PF government. to bridge our financing gap as a In the course of years, influence and prestige, THE story of our integration into the capitalist “A vote for Mr Lungu and the “The ideal of massive infrastruc- country as opposed to the tradi- instead of gradually turning me into someone PF will be a vote to finish off system is very, very sad. conceited, a vain person or something along ture development was right in and tional Paris Club members. While I feel deeply on this subject; I cannot help whatever little life still remains of itself but was not well thought some of our debt to China is bilat- those lines, has, I think made me less vain each it. Let’s take a little glance at the history of the day, less pretentious, less self-sufficient. It is a in this country,” he said eral, most of it is either quasi gov- out from the very beginning. It was African. It seems to me that the story would melt battle against one’s instincts. I believe that only “Why have I come to this con- irrational. The World Bank and the ernment or commercial. This has hearts of stone. This capitalism that some of our education, a sincere and tenacious education clusion? A few months before the IMF, among many others, advised very serious consequences: people defend so strongly, that they brag about, of the self, can change an animal into a human PF came to power in 2011, Zam- them to rationalise their infrastruc- l It has made Zambia become is not something we got into voluntarily. We got being. into it because we couldn’t help it. bia was reclassified as a lower ture development expenditure but a Highly Indebted Poor Country Given a bit of influence and prestige, people Our ancestors were captured in our jungles become vain and want to make use of it. I believe middle-income country. For the they were not ready to listen. again. Excessive borrowing has in- and on our plains, captured as you capture wild first three years of the PF’s reign creased Zambia’s public debt from in people. I have never felt the sensation of in- beasts, torn from their homes and their kindred, gratitude. And people don’t like to recognise what under Mr Michael Sata, it managed 20.8 per cent of GDP when the PF Prudent loaded into capitalist slave ships, packed like they owe others. It is a universal law. to maintain the same economic took over government in 2011 to sardines in a box, half of them dying on the growth trajectory. However, eco- “There was need for equitable more than 100 per cent in 2021. ocean passage; some jumping into the sea in nomic growth, which averaged 6.4 distribution of projects coupled l The PF government has ba- their frenzy, when they had a chance to choose The basis of true leadership per cent at the time, immediately with prudent fiscal consolidation sically put Zambia on the world death in the place of capitalist slavery. They were bought and sold as slaves, to work without pay – ONE CANNOT be a leader in the true sense of map for the wrong reason, being started a downward spiral when Mr so that every province of Zambia they were commodities on the capitalist market. word without caring for the people, without love Lungu took over the presidency. can benefit and the country only the first country to default on its They were subjected to all this for generations. for the people. “From a growth of 7.6 per cent spends money that it has. How- debt service post COVID 19. The The great grandmother of our first vice-presi- If I’m going to be a leader I’ve got to be where in 2014, for instance, economic ever, the PF government went into high debt has resulted in higher dent and general secretary, Dr Cosmas Musumali, the people I am leading are. I’ve got to be able to growth plummeted to 2.9 per cent high-gear borrowing for projects costs of debt service which the was a run away slave. She was captured while be with them, spend time with them overhearing in 2015. And it has since been dete- that only benefited a few areas at a PF government unfortunately has collecting firewood and taken to the Atlantic their truths, and really being able to see and share their pain without it being filtered to me through riorating year in year out, reaching very expensive cost. now failed to manage. For the first coast in Angola. She escaped from captivity the way she was captured. While waiting for the ship other people or through tinted windows of auto- 1.4 per cent in 2019 and negative “For example, statistics from time, the country has defaulted on to return from the Americas to come and take mobiles. 4.2 per cent last year. the Ministry of Finance show that its debt service obligations. them, they were sent to collect firewood and she For us, the greatest delight in life is the feeling “On the fiscal side, Mr Lungu by end of this year – 2021 – debt l Zambia’s sovereignty is at escaped. It took her three years to get back to of being near and necessary to people. We will do and his government threw away service costs will have increased risk because no one knows under home in the western part of what is now Zambia. our very best to provide this type of leadership. fiscal prudence and replaced it with to US$3.3 billion, which is equiva- what conditions the commercial But it was not only those who were captured reckless borrowing. This was done lent to over ZMW70 billion at the Chinese debt was contracted. as slaves who suffered. Those who were not The common good is our aim in the name of infrastructure devel- current exchange rate of K22/US$. “This is certainly not a recipe captured as slaves suffered too. They lived in opment when we all know that the So if your domestic resource mo- for the revival of our country’s perpetual fear of being captured as slaves. THE GOOD of each of us in the long term is se- A human being living in perpetual fear has economic fortunes. It’s also not a cured and promoted by the common good. Failure ulterior motive has been to create bilisation capacity is at K65 billion no peace, and loses self-esteem, creativity and to do so can only precipitate social instability and expenditure lines for corruption. then you factor in K27 billion for recipe for governing well.” productivity. And the consequences of this life of threaten the wellbeing of all, rich and poor. fear are transmitted through the DNA to genera- History abounds with instances where the rich tions and generations of Africans, even long after and powerful have brought about their own down- the classical capitalist slavery has ended. fall by refusing to recognise in good time the le- Today the African is still a human being with gitimate demands of the poor. And as long as this ‘We will prioritise job creation relatively very low self-esteem, creativity and gap remains at its current scandalous level, the productivity. It requires a struggle, a revolution- future of our country is at risk. If the gap between ary transformation of the human being and the the rich and poor is unacceptable, then so, too, is country to come out of this. the actual degree of poverty in our society. That is our history. We are the children of capi- By tolerating such high levels of poverty, the with macro-economic plan’ talist slavery. If capitalism owes anything to any Zambian economy undermines the common good, human being, or to any power in the universe, it and fails to demonstrate the solidarity that our SOCIALIST Party president this question and solve the issue owes it to us. Above all other human beings, capi- shared human dignity demands. l “WE ARE living in a very dif- says, “We must not tire of of jobs. talism owes an obligation and a duy to us that “One of the main reasons for our ficult and different world today. can never be repaid. And if any African, or indeed talking about ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ any decent human being with a sense of justice, We will build a better Zambia high rate of poverty is the failure This is the first thing we must feels as he or she should feel, their emotions will until the solution is found. of the economy to provide suffi- understand. We cannot be saved A BETTER Zambia is possible, but we have to col- if we persist on the course we are be like mine. lectively struggle for it. How can our people survive cient employment. I know we have a long and rough road to go. I following. A new order is needed, a The existence of large numbers of hungry and without jobs?” “It is not only we socialists who believe that the life of an African has been a life of undernourished people in our country constitutes “For last 27 years, Zambia has are worried about this problem. socialist order,” Dr M’membe has tragedy, of injustice, of oppression, of exploita- said. “We shouldn’t put our necks an affront to all of us. A stable, permanent solution been on an unbridled neoliberal Even capitalists are worried, not tion and of humiliation. Today the law has made must be found for this serious problem. under the executioner’s axe; our capitalist path, which has been on¡ly because of the social turmoil us equal, but capitalism has not. And, after all, the No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and instincts for self preservation and last analysis is: what has capitalism done? And privatising and commercialising caused by this inequality and un- no one may. We ourselves must walk the path. the condition of thinking human not what has the law done? We ourselves must strive. The leaders only everything, including land. But employment, which increasingly I know there is a very rough road ahead of us threatens their own privileged po- beings should save us from this point the way. We have no alternative. the net result is what we see: un- impending Armageddon. before we can take the place that I believe we We must continue struggling, with the hope that sition, but also because of the long- should take. I know that before us there is sorrow, ceasing and growing inequality, “It is our sacred duty to do all a better Zambia will become a reality, as it will if term inability of this same system despair and hopelessness. I will do whatever I and unemployment.” we keep on struggling. We shouldn’t resign our- to provide growth, jobs, and a de- that can be done within each per- can to end it. What do you think your duty is in Dr M’membe said this fear ex- son’s reach to realise real change. selves to hunger, unemployment, squalor, disease, cent standard of living – that is, to this situation? ignorance, hopelessness, despair. Struggling for a isted among capitalists as well. “Achieving real change calls us to develop productive forces. better Zambia means, in part, building it. “The worry and fear is that seek other formulas and admit that “Every winter they go to Davos Only we know who we are True democracy can exist only in a fair, just and rapid technological progress will we are able to organise our lives in Switzerland for the World Eco- humane social system, a socialist system. lead to mass unemployment, with and our destiny in a more rational nomic Forum to discuss, mainly, and can judge ourselves machines replacing workers in a and humane manner,” he said. ceaseless and growing global IN THE Socialist Party we have always had a vast range of jobs, both manual Our biggest priority is food inequality and unemployment. l AN AFRICAN Proverb says: leading group and a collective leadership.I do not and white collar, particularly with THE biggest priority comes from the biggest chal- The main cause of this growing “If you want to go fast, go alone. make unipersonal decisions. We have a Politburo. the advent of advanced computing If you want to go far, go together.” I fulfill my duties as president of the Socialist lenge that we face. What is the biggest challenge inequality and unemployment is today? We are the fourth hungriest country in techniques, such as machine learn- “The Socialist Party relies on col- Party within a group. not because the world is today less Africa. ing and voice recognition. lective decision-making rather In our party, the important decisions, the funda- capitalist or producing less goods mental decisions, are always analysed, discussed If we are not able to feed our people, we will have “It is real and a fact that, in Zam- than individual decision-making,” and services. How much more and adopted collectively. I don’t have the authority challenges, we will not even have the type of bia today, machines have taken Dr M’membe said. capitalist do they want the United to appoint anyone to any position. I can’t even human beings that we want to have, a healthy hu- over our people’s jobs in the mines, “We believe that the individual man being is what we need to have. The Socialist States, Europe, and indeed, the appoint the humblest official in this party. I have a on commercial farms, construction is meaningless without collective certain degree of authority and prestige, yes, due Party will pay a lot of attention to agriculture. We sites, in the banks, and so on. whole world, to be? support. No leader should over to historical reasons, but I do not give orders or will struggle without respite and draw up plans “But our people need jobs to sur- “The Socialist Party will there- emphasise their own abilities. The decrees. so that we can meet our people’s needs for basic vive. Where are the jobs going to fore prioritise job creation with a leader needs to understand the Some people believe we are not what we seem. foodstuffs as much as possible, and as soon as possible. come from for young people leav- macro-economic approach, as well relationship between themselves Only we know who we truly are, only we can judge ing school, college and university, as massive investments in educa- and the collective. We are not ourselves. And I am very self-critical and severe with myself. One must keep a watchful eye over (For details of our plans, refer to our party mani- and indeed, those who are being tion, health, housing construction looking for a single genius but a oneself. I like concrete work, I am not interested festo, pages 26-27). retrenched? We have to answer and agro processing.” collective genius.” 2 Socialist Monthly, August 2021 The suffering of Zambia’s poor is like hell on Earth – M’membe ‘We can’t continue like this, we need change’ Socialist staff reporter

SOCIALIST Party president Fred M’membe has described life in Zambia as “hell on Earth”. Speaking at a virtual rally in Northern and Muchinga Prov- inces broadcast by 35 media outlets and relayed online , Dr M’membe said the suffering of the poor could not be ignored. “These lamentations have to Socialist Party president Fred move us, we cannot ignore them. M’membe addresses the North- We cannot turn a blind eye to the ern and Muchinga Provinces sufferings of our people. This is virtual rally hell on Earth,” Dr M’membe said. “You can’t start to employ the “Christ cared about the mate- same measures that have gotten rial conditions under which people us to where we are today. The debt lived. He did not ignore them. De- has to be tackled in the first place. spite that He came to serve us so When you owe people money, that we can go to heaven. He did what do you do?” not wait for heaven for us. He at- Dr M’membe said he would tended to all material needs here downsize the Cabinet to ten, cut on Earth. That is the leadership of government transport and reduce Christ. We who claim to be Chris- local and international travel of tians, have to be like Christ. Be- government officials by at least 60 ing like Christ means doing what per cent. Christ would do in this situation.” “We can’t continue the same Dr M’membe said the economy way; it’s not possible. We can’t, we l The Socialist Party through the Fred M’membe Literacy and Agroecology Campaign has embarked on a nationwide training was contracting but that the needs can’t, we can’t continue this way. programme of peasant farmers on organic farming practices, focusing on the production of organic fertiliser, water conservation, of Zambians had grown. Drastic measures have to be taken, soil fertility management, and environmental protection. “The economy is contracting. revolutionary measures have to be Economic activity is decreasing, taken. We have to be frugal. but the needs of the people are not “You can’t run a Cabinet of 22 decreasing – the population of our people right now because you Candidates spell out social challenges country is not decreasing. don’t have money for it. That mon- “The economy is no longer ey is needed for health services, for Mable Tubaaka is about collective work.”She said give them the financial support to people of Kwacha don›t have Jobs growing. When the current ruling schools, for peasant agriculture,” education was a major issue. “Kal- start up their business. That way and the cost of living is very high. party came into power in 2011, the he said. ulushi, just like any other constitu- they will be able to develop the For those who have Jobs, their pay economic growth rate was averag- “Your socialist government will TWO of the Socialist Party’s ency on the Copperbelt is facing a community.” is minimal. It cannot sustain their ing 6.4 per cent. Today it is in the reduce the Cabinet to ten people parliamentary candidates fea- lot of challenges. Mulenga said Kalulushi’s agri- basic needs. Most of the house- negative. There is a recession,” he and those ten will include the Pres- tured on Flava FM this month “The rural part of Kalulushi cultural sector depended on maize holds in Kwacha can hardly afford said. ident and the Vice-President. Some discussing a range of policy doesn’t have adequate education but that due to pricing and distri- three meals in a day.” ministries have to be merged, amal- and leadership issues. facilities. There are few primary bution issues, the constituency Namunyola said many children Gigantic gamated. There has to be downsiz- Christine Mulenga, candidate and secondary schools in Kalu- would be better off diversifying. missed out on school because their ing of government activity.” for Kalulushi constituency, and lushi, pupils cover long distances “I think it›s time we started parents couldn’t afford to pay the Dr M’membe said he feared for Dr M’membe added that the so- Grace Namunyola, candidate for to access the available schools, and equipping our farmers with fees and those who could go to the future of Zambians in a country cialist government would cut the Kwacha constituency, highlighted most of the schools in Kalulushi knowledge and skills on how to school were having to walk long “that is saddled with such a huge salaries of top government officials poverty, education, agriculture, lack teaching materials.” grow other crops like soya beans, distances to get there. debt, such a gigantic debt. by 50 per cent. unemployment and empowerment Mulenga said women cried out which has profit. “Every child is precious. All He said the situation was the “You can’t live so well, so much as major challenges. for empowerment but that it in- “Growing onions should be young people must have access to “the product of decisions, actions on the moon, when the people you Mulenga was asked what it volved developing skills for the taken into consideration as well free quality education. Our party of our own people, people we call are leading have no food, no access meant to be a political leader. “As collective good. “The Socialist because we have had shortages of manifesto says quality education our own leaders”. to medicine, their children can’t go a leader you must first understand Party government will not dish out onions, not only in Kalulushi but will be free from nursery up to uni- “Today we have a debt that we to school. Top government officials the society you intend to lead. money to people who don’t have across the country.” versity level,” she said. have difficulties repaying,” he will have to accept a salary reduc- Leadership is not about you mak- the skills because it will be a waste Namunyola focused on unem- “When people are educated it said. “Debt service today is taking tion,” Dr M’membe said. ing decisions for yourself,” she of resources. We will first engage ployment and education in her leads to development because they away 70 per cent of our domes- “Those who don’t accept that said. “it’s about involving the peo- the women and find out what they interview. will have the knowledge and skills tic revenue, the taxes we pay and can find other jobs.” ple in the community and other rel- want to do. They will be trained at The issue of unemployment is to bring about the change that is other revenue that the government l Western and Southern Prov- evant authorities for development the skills centres in order to equip one the biggest challenges in Kwa- needed in their communities and collects locally. inces virtual rally – Page 6 to take place. In short, leadership them with knowledge and later cha constituency, she said. “The our nation at large.” “It means that out of every kwa- cha the government gets from you – the poor Zambian, 70 ngwee is used for debt servicing. Only 30 ngwee remains to pay our soldiers, Tribalism ‘the result of ignorance and stupidity’ police officers, nurses, doctors, you don’t like a Bemba today, you may not Socialist Party. It took a year and four months is not even able to pick a cabinet on his own,” teachers, our president, vice-presi- SOCIALIST Party president Fred like me. I have done you no wrong, but sim- for my comrades to convince me to take up Dr M’membe said. “All institutions deposit dent, cabinet ministers, permanent M’membe says tribalism is the result of ply because you don’t like Bembas you turn this leadership position. It’s not something power in individuals quite often. But you secretaries and so on and so forth. ignorance and stupidity. against me, because I’m Bemba,” he said. that I have taken up lightly, but it’s a respon- have to learn to share that power with others. “And in this 30 ngwee, we also Speaking on Diamond TV’s “Know your “If you don’t like Tongas today, you may sibility that I have to shoulder.” The Chitimukulu may have power deposited candidate’ programme”, Dr M’membe said, have to ensure that there are medi- not like me because I’m Toka-Leya – I’m Asked if there would be vengeance against in him by the Bemba traditional system, but “If you know your origins, if you realise cines in the hospitals, the schools close to the Tongas. If you don’t like Lozis, those who wronged him in the past, Dr that power is shared with others. where we are coming from, you’ll realise that are functioning, there is water sup- you may not like me, but I’ve not done any- M’membe said “the exercise of power must “Even in a family, you have the power as a we are all one people in this country.” ply and so on. Is this working? thing wrong to you. But simply because I’m be a constant practice of self-limitation and father but you share that power with others – “And not only in this country but also in Definitely it’s not working. It can’t Lozi. Is that fair? Is that the way we should modesty”. even with your youngest child.” the neighbouring countries.” work! It’s not magic,” he said. treat each other?” “Power that you cannot control, power that “There is no law that is written for you to “We are the same people with the people Dr M’membe said Zambia’s Dr M’membe said it was absurd, inhu- you have no breaks over is dangerous. Power share that power with your youngest child economic crisis had to be con- in Malawi. We are the same people with the mane, and stupid to treat anybody on the ba- shouldn’t be something that is personal for but you share it. Power must be shared with fronted with a radical change of people in Zimbabwe. We are the same people sis of their tribe and race. you to enjoy, for you to use,” he said. others. Without sharing power with others, approach. with the people in Congo. We are all Congo- He also indicated that power deforms a hu- “Once you have that concept where you we are in trouble. Even as politicians, we “Things cannot be done the lese. Why the issue of tribalism?” man being, adding that he is not fighting to see power as something personal that you can shouldn’t think that power just lies with us. usual way. It can’t be business as Dr M’membe said people ought to treat go into power. utilise to deal with others wrongly or rightly, No. usual. It can’t be a question of fix- others on the basis of their conduct, not on “I have been deployed. As socialists you you’ll have a problem.” “We have other leaders in the country. We ing this, fixing that. No. Revolu- the basis of their tribe, ethnicity, race or re- don’t aspire to get to an office. You are de- He said his would be a collective presi- have chiefs, village headmen, sub-chiefs, re- tionary changes are needed. Short ligion. ployed by your comrades,” Dr M’membe dency. ligious leaders and a myriad of other com- of a revolution, forget it, we’ll not “Treat every human being on the basis of said. “You’ll not see the type of president that munity leaders. Power must be shared with get out of this. their own behaviour, their own conduct. If “I never applied to be the president of the you have seen. This will be a president who them,” Dr M’membe said. Socialist Monthly, August 2021 3 PROFILE: OUR ONLY HOPE FOR A BETTER ZAMBIA

Fred M’membe: Cosmas Musheke a new socialist-inspired political Through The Post, he created Banda regime. Attempts were Musumali platform was needed. Equally a platform where Zambians made by the Banda regime to General secretary and first vice- important was a qualitative had a loud voice and fearlessly close The Post using the Zambia president of the Socialist Party change in the leadership. Zambia pointed out the shortcomings of Revenue Authority, but failed. and Fred M’membe’s presidential needed a President who would the existing establishment. And, The Edgar Lungu regime election running mate serve the masses. Fred was the because of that, he has been both crudely implemented that strat- first choice. loved and hated, depending upon egy, ignoring even the lawful It took us a year to convince the point of view of those who orders of the Revenue Appeals Fred to change direction – to judged him. Tribunal. The Lungu regime FRED M’membe is a living come and serve Zambia in a Fred has been arrested, used the Zambia Revenue legend. He has already left different way. Even after agree- insulted and abused. He has ing to join active party politics, Authority to close The Post by a mark on the history of been stripped of his earnings and he was still willing to serve the personal effects. His home has moving and closing the news- Zambia. In 2021, he is be- Socialist Party in various other been invaded, vandalised and oc- paper and demanding about $5 ing called upon to lead our capacities. His conviction is to a cupied by the state. Fewer have million in all sorts of taxes. country as President. socialist transformation in gen- attracted that much venom from The Post appealed to the Rev- For many people in Zambia, eral. Positions were not an issue. the corrupt ruling elite. The aim enue Appeals Tribunal, which Fred has become the only hope Another year of consulta- was to cripple him economically ordered that the newspaper be for a better Zambia. tions and discussions elapsed and psychologically – to stop reopened and the figures being The Zambian masses feel before he finally agreed to be the him from being a voice of the demanded be reconciled with its Socialist Party president Fred M’membe (right) with the party’s masses. And this has been going betrayed by the greedy and presidential candidate. During auditors and tax accountants. that process, I learnt something first vice-president – and running mate – Cosmas Musumali on for almost 30 years now. Yet corrupt political elite that has The regime ignored that order about my brother and comrade Fred has grown stronger and ruled the country since 1991. It became what they are through injustice in the late 1970s as a and proceeded with the disman- – his deep sense of humility and constant development. more resolute in his fight for is also becoming apparent that student. He founded a socialist tling of the newspaper›s assets. neoliberal capitalism and the willingness to serve his country But being principled doesn’t student newsletter. Its focus was justice, equity and peace. The The Post had managed to se- economy dominated by foreign selflessly. He is the complete make Fred rigid, unbending or on Zambian, international and Fred of today is more resilient cure the money, and gave it to its multinationals have failed to opposite of the power-hungry unyielding. He is very flexible, student politics. It was an infor- than ever before. He is in the deliver to our people. The im- clique dominating the political but without abandoning any mative and influential left-wing true sense uwesu, wathu-wathu, lawyers for onward transmission mense poverty and suffering of landscape in Zambia today. principles. As reality changes, newsletter that called for justice wesu, wetu, waluna and yowetu to the Zambia Revenue Author- the Zambian masses stand in The humility that Fred so his understanding of reality and equity, and provided solidar- for the voiceless masses. ity. They were ready to pay and sharp contrast to the opulent and expresses is something we changes, and he is constantly ity with the national liberation reconcile the figures with the parasitic lifestyles of the rich. can all learn from. It’s not the ready to accept the new truth, movements in southern Africa. Zambia Revenue Authority later A poor elderly woman once false humility that some people and handle it with humility and Later, in1990, Fred was to Closure of The Post but were advised that a firm summed it up well: “Fred express to build themselves up acceptance. build on this student experience and the price of decision was made by the regime M’membe Uwesu” (Fred as paragons of wisdom, his track I would therefore like to share to help edit Multiparty News. principles to close the newspaper and such M’membe is ours) – he is the record does that on its own. It’s with you, the Zambian people, This was a newsletter initiated payment would be just a waste some of the incoming President’s President for the poor, humble a true humility that goes beyond by the Movement for Multiparty PRIVATELY, Fredrick Chiluba of money. qualities. used to say the greatest mistake and suffering Zambian masses. expression to others, but digs Democracy (MMD) advocating If he was not principled, Fred I have had the privilege of for political change in Zambia. he made when he was president deep down into himself. It is could have decided to cut a deal knowing Fred since childhood. humility in his own mind that He is a Zambian This was before he set up The was not to close The Post. If The with the regime and compromise We are comrades, friends and drives him to continuously iter- patriot Post newspaper in 1991 July. Post was closed he could have its editorial independence to brothers. It was very clear to me ate and improve on the ways he Fred did not come up with The succeeded in changing the con- keep the newspaper alive. But that Fred had to leave the media handles life. FRED is a true Zambian patriot. Post in order to make money. It stitution to give himself a third world and serve our people as It’s easy to look at my broth- He loves the people of Zambia was a political move. He wanted term in office. he said, “Let them close the President. The sheer incompe- er’s principles as something that and has been fighting for their to contribute to the consolidation Chiluba believed it was not newspaper. They can take away tence, rampant corruption, tribal- were given down from heaven, human, political and economic of democracy in our country. The easy to rule with The Post everything I own; as long as they istic tendencies of the ruling elite but it is not so. They have rights for more than 40 years. Post was a political project – and around and he is said to have don’t take my life it’s OK. I am needed to be stopped. Therefore, been developed over time, and Fred took up the fight against ironically died a political death. accordingly advised the Rupiah not ready to surrender to evil.

4 Socialist Monthly, August 2021 a living legend It gets dark sometimes but the In 1992, Fred significantly He is a true as well Bemba from Kapota vil- embodies the true spirit of One ing ethical journalism in Zambia morning comes.” contributed to the formulation Zambian lage (Mungwi District) and from Zambia One Nation. He is yours. and the world. Clearly, The Post was not of the programmatic documents Mukuka Muleya village (Chinsali He is a true Zambian. He is a recipient of the Media closed because of taxes; if it for the Alliance for Democracy ZAMBIANS love to know District). Institute of Southern Africa was taxes, all other newspapers in Malawi (AFORD) under the whether their president is truly Fred’s mother’s side is com- He will be the most (MISA) press freedom award, would have been closed; it was leadership of trade union activist Zambian – that he is not foreign. plicated and we need to do some educated African South African Union of Journal- politics, dirty politics. Chakufwa Chihana. They question whether each geography to understand it. president ists’ Pringle award, World Press From 1993 until 2014, Fred president is really from this We start in Southern Province, Review Editor of the Year award, He understands the continued to support and encour- country. in the villages among the Toka NOW you may ask what Fred’s Percy Qoboza press freedom Leyas. He has relatives there. We award from the National Associa- political landscape age the formation, as well as the First came Kenneth Kaunda. educational background is, work, of various political plat- Zambians questioned whether then move upwards to Mwene although in the Socialist Party we tion of Black Journalists (NABJ) – Kahare of the Nkoyas, Nkeyema an organisation of African-Amer- forms in Zambia. His desire was he was from Malawi. After do not think education necessarily FRED, in true internationalist District. Fred’s maternal grand- ican journalists – and the United the creation of an environment Kaunda came Frederick Chiluba, makes one a good leader – it may spirit, supported the liberation mother is a direct descendant of Nations-affiliated International where good governance, human and some people argued he was just help a person to do certain struggles in southern Africa the Nkoya royal establishment. Press Institute’s Press Freedom rights and freedom of the press from Congo. Levy Mwanawasa things differently. National leader- and other parts of the world. He Fred’s maternal roots are also Hero award. could be secured. His support for succeeded Chiluba, and it was ship requires more than education. became a member of the Com- suggested he was from Mozam- anchored among the Mbundas of But when president Michael the National Party (NP) under However, one thing is certainly munist Party of South Africa bique. After Mwanawasa came Mwene Kandala (Mongu District), true. With the death of Robert Sata wanted to give Fred a national Baldwin Nkumbula and the Pa- (CPSA) – now the South African Rupiah Banda. He was accused Mwene Muundu (Kalabo District), Mugabe, Fred will be the most honour on independence day in triotic Front (PF) under Michael Communist Party (SACP) – in of coming from Bulawayo, Zim- and among the Kwangwas to the highly educated president in 2011, he refused to accept it. Sata is well documented. Both 1978. SACP became his political babwe. After Rupiah Banda was upper lands of the Barotse flood Africa. Fred’s friendship with the parties were founded on an anti- home during these formative voted out, Michael Sata became plain. He has a bachelor’s degree Cuban Revolution has been years. Leading revolutionaries corruption and pro-poor stance. president, and he was said to hail He is also Lui from the Barotse in accountancy. He has a law recognised and honoured by such as Joe Slovo, Chris Hani from Tanzania. After Sata came floodplain – a descendant of degree. Having studied at the former president Raul Castro. He and Ben Turok were his mentors. He is a generous Edgar Lungu and, again, he was Ndiyoyi Mubuyayeta from King Zambia Institute of Advanced is a decorated loyal friend of the Even in the socialist rever- person accused of coming from Malawi. Mulambwa’s lineage – and served Legal Education, he is a qualified Cuban Revolution. sals of late 1980s, Fred never Each time a leader comes to in-charge of economics and and practising lawyer. He also wavered in his belief in, and SOME people have asked, “Is power, his origins are ques- foreign affairs (Mukulwakashiko) gained a master’s degree in eco- He is firm and commitment to, socialism. He Fred M’membe a generous per- tioned. It will probably be the under King Lewanika. Ndiyo›s nomic policy management. He has resolute has been a socialist from his late son?” And the answer is YES! case with Fred. Yes, people will mother was Totela from Mulobezi. another master’s in taxation and teens to date. He is blood and How many people has Fred ask where he hails from. Here is Fred is also a Mukwamwenyi he holds a doctorate in business TODAY’S Zambia needs Fred assisted out of generosity? So soul a socialist. the answer: from Silayi village in Liuwa, Ka- administration. more than ever. He is generous but many, and we are not talking firm. A no-nonsense person when In 1991, Fred participated in Every person has two origins, labo, the village and family where Name me one other living presi- about his relatives. Just ordinary a father’s and a mother’s side. So it comes to lying, stealing, laziness and gave his total support to the Namakando Wina – the longest dent who has so many qualifica- people, especially schoolchildren I will explain a bit about these serving prime minister under three tions. and the many other vices that af- formation of the Movement for who needed help. I am able to two roots. Lozi kings (Yeta, Imwiko and And it doesn’t end there. Fred flict our country. Multiparty Democracy (MMD) count 34 people. And the money Fred’s paternal grandfather Mwanawina) – hailed from. Silayi hasn’t given up studying yet. He Fred sets disciplinary standards in Zambia. Under the coordina- didn’t come from the party or a originates from Nkulungwe area, is the ancestral home of Zambian is now reading for a doctorate in for himself; he works a minimum tion of Akashambatwa Mbikusita company, it came from his own Mwika Royal Village, Shiwan- freedom fighters such as Arthur journalism and media studies. He of 15 hours each day, does not Lewanika and Mbita Chitala, the pocket. Fred has always stood gandu District, in Muchinga Wina, Sikota Wina and Maimbol- is a true role model. drink alcohol, is vegetarian by key programmatic documents for the poor. Province. Fred’s Nkulungwe wa Sakubita. Others, like Mundia choice, exercises an hour each for the MMD were put together I have yet to come across any family has produced four Nalumino and Munukayumbwa Honours and awards morning, and is extremely time- by a think tank and a secretariat other presidential candidate who Bemba Kings or Chitimukulus – Sipalo, also had some connections conscious and punctual for his was set up. Fred was an active comes close to Fred. Ironically, Kasansu Kafunikile ku Ng’wena, with Silayi village. I DON’T know of any journalist in appointments. contributor to this process. he has in the past extended a Kanabesa, Chibamba wa Manshi In short, Fred has villages in Zambia or Africa who has received In Fred M’membe, you will He participated in editing the helping hand to individuals or and Lwipa Ichacila Ababyalo. Muchinga, Northern, Southern as many international awards as have a Zambian President MMD’s newsletter, Multiparty political parties that today fight The paternal grandmother was and Western Provinces. The truth Fred for his commitment to de- dedicated to solving people’s News. against him. a Bisa from Makumya village is that Fred belongs to us all. He fending press freedom and promot- problems.

Socialist Monthly, August 2021 5 VIRTUAL RALLY & POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Western and Southern Provinces virtual rally: Socialist Party president Fred M’membe (centre) and first vice-president Cosmas Mu- sumali (right) with parliamentary candidates (from left, counter clockwise) Mwysia Imbula, Aggephrey Brill, Preston Chinyama, George Namizeko and Christine Musole

There can be no One Zambia One Nation with these poverty levels

Socialist staff reporter said. “The young people are start- primary and Chikankata and Lusitu in Luapula Province is a member of improve the lives of people through ing to try to find solutions to this. PROFILES secondary schools, and is a graduate the Zambia Institute of Chartered Ac- access to healthcare, education, infra- They are starting to talk about it. of the Immaculata Visitation Teach- countants who believes that corpo- structure, and aqua/agriculture. THERE can be no One Zam- They are starting to question what ers’ College. rate good governance is key to Zam- “Men have not done a good job,” Chenda Basopo bia’s economic development. she said. “It’s time for change by bia One Nation when the pov- is going on, and when they do, you descend on them viciously.” Melody Buumba “Because of the passion I have for electing a woman for the first time erty divide between people is CHENDA Basopo, parliamentary since independence because women Dr M’membe said he was my area and the people in the entire as large as it is in the country candidate for Mwembeshi con- MELODY Buumba, parliamentary constituency and Zambia at large I are better managers, take assign- shocked that most people in Zam- stituency, Central Province, says he candidate for Mbabala constituency, would like to help promote corporate ments seriously and deliver.” today, Socialist Party presi- bia today did not want to talk joined the Socialist Party because Southern Province, says she is look- good governance – that’s integrity, Chungu-Mweenda was educated dent Fred M’membe has said. about the Barotseland Agreement it is the only one capable of solving ing forward “to being a part of the professionalism and ethical conduct at Mumuni primary, Kabulonga, and Speaking at a virtual rally for of 1964 because, “they think it’s a Zambia’s problems. socioeconomic revolution that will in public service,” he said. Mansa secondary schools, Zambia Western and Southern Provinc- sensitive, secessionist, treasonous “It is the only party that can uplift redeem Zambia”. He says he wants to help focus on Institute of Management, and the the poor and pathetic working condi- “I am a vibrant, energetic, vision- and improve key economic sectors National Institute of Public Admin- es, Dr M’membe said that the document”. “This is a document that united tions and put an end to the political ary, and compassionate citizen, who and strengthen public institutions to istration. poverty level in Western Prov- suppression and economic exploita- has the capacity to help deliver the deal with the fight against corruption. our homeland, a document that tion of Zambians by the greedy and socioeconomic revolution that Zam- Chansa graduated from Ev- Henry Kalolo ince was 82.2 percent, whereas made it possible to talk about One it was just 20.2 percent in Lu- self-centred capitalists who have bia needs,” she said. elyn Hone College, Kitwe Teachers’ Zambia One Nation. What does the made billions of kwacha at the ex- Buumba says women are an im- Training College, and the University HENRY Kalolo, parliamentary can- saka Province. Barotseland Agreement talk about? pense of the toiling masses,” he said. portant part of the revolution that will of Zambia. didate for Mandevu constituency, Lu- “One Zambia One Nation It talks about human rights.” He says issues in Mwembeshi in- bring “social, economic, and political saka Province, first became interested should mean that people live more Dr M’membe said there could clude healthcare, poor security, edu- sanity to Zambia”. Issues include wa- Jackson Chishala in the writings of Karl Marx when he or less the same way. They should be no justice in a country with lev- cation and roads. ter and poor agricultural output. was at school. Basopo was educated at Nam- “I believe in the values of social- endure the same poverty levels or els of poverty of 80 percent and Buumba completed her education JACKSON Chishala, parliamentary pundwe primary and Mumbwa sec- in Choma. candidate for Mambilima constituen- ism because they are true. This is the difference should be small,” Dr above. “Such high levels of pov- ondary boarding schools and is cur- cy, Luapula Province, says he wants the reason I belong to the Socialist M’membe said. “You cannot have erty are an indication of injustice, rently studying law with Zambian Simon Bwalya to see a self-reliant Zambia that treats Party,” he said. One Zambia One Nation in a coun- of an unequal society. We are one Open University. everyone equally in a peaceful envi- Kalolo was educated at Katilungu try where some endure a poverty of the most unequal societies in the SIMON Bwalya is the parliamentary ronment. and Kasala primary schools, Kabun- level of 82.2 percent and others en- world. Let people govern them- Simoonga Benzwala candidate for Bwacha constituency, “I want a government where the di and Hillcrest National Technical dure 20.2 percent. You can’t.” selves. And they must govern this Central Province. means of production are controlled secondary schools, and the Univer- Dr M’membe, who was born in year.” SIMOONGA Benzwala, parliamen- He says he joined the revolution- by the Zambian poor masses. I want sity of Zambia. tary candidate for Chirundu constitu- ary movement “because we want to to see a just, fair and humane soci- He says the main challenges in Mongu, Western Province, said, l Statistics show that poverty lev- ency, Lusaka Province, has focused transform society by working togeth- ety,” he said. Mandevu are illiteracy, education, “The people of the land where I els are: 82.2 percent in Western on health and education issues. er through justice, equity and peace”. He says poor sanitation, youth un- healthcare, food supply, housing, en- was born have been humiliated, Province, 81.1 percent in Luapula “I have worked with most commu- Bwalya says the three most press- employment and a lack of higher ed- ergy costs, water, sanitation, roads, debased, degraded, marginalised. Province, 79.7 percent in Northern nities in my constituency, especially ing issues in Bwacha are poor roads, ucation facilities are pressing issues. drainage, youth unemployment, teen- “Should we sit and accept that as Province, 70 percent in Eastern in the education sector, having taught limited health services and shuttered Chishala completed his education age pregnancies, and drug and alco- a given, as if it was ordained on us Province, 69.3 percent in Muchin- in most community and private industrial developments. at Mansa Secondary School in 2015. hol abuse. by our creator? No! No! No! Those ga Province, 66.4 percent in North- schools,” he said. Bwalya completed his secondary He says issues that need to be ad- Mukela Kwalela who think we are going to sit qui- Western Province, 57.6 percent in education in 2007. Dorcas Chungu dressed in Chirundu are illiteracy, etly and not talk about these things Southern Province, 56.2 percent inadequate health services, erratic Albert Chansa CHISALA Dorcas Chungu-Mween- MUKELA Kwalela, parliamentary are wrong. They are dealing with in Central Province, 30.9 percent water supply, sanitation, and poor ag- da is the parliamentary candidate candidate for Gwembe constituency, the wrong people, at the wrong in Copperbelt Province, and 20.2 ricultural policies. ALBERT Chansa, parliamentary for Bahati constituency, Luapula Southern Province, says he joined the time and in the wrong way,” he percent in Lusaka Province. Benzwala was educated at Lusitu candidate for Chienge constituency Province, and says her mission is to Socialist Party because of its pledge JUSTICE • EQUITY • PEACE

6 Socialist Monthly, August 2021 VIRTUAL RALLY & POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Albert Chansa Michael Mundambo Namasiku Situmbeko Simon Bwalya John Simutowe Sharon Sinonge Peggy Siamudele Janet Zimba Jackson Chishala

Margaret Sikalonza Mundia Mukubesa Simoonga Benzwala Stephen Simpemba Mirriam Mwewa Chisala Chungu Rabecca Musonda Henry Kalolo Chedzo Malambo

Mark Mpundu Matakala Muso Brian Nyirongo Mukela Kwalela Laston Mambwe Dennis Mulenga Simon Mwila Melody Buumba Chenda Basopo

to provide free education and health- Socialist Party has accurately identi- age, drainage, healthcare issues, and Central constituency, Lusaka Prov- food and money”. “There is another Sharon Sinonge care and improve peasant farming. fied the root cause of the problem. a lack of government schools. ince, says his “passion to serve the form of deprivation that makes us The 24-year-old says the roads, “A perversion in the redistribution Mukubesa holds a Bachelor of people” led him into politics. constantly debased and humiliated ZAMBIA is rich in natural resources health services and education need of resources has left the most produc- Arts degree in public administration. “I was working as a civil servant in as second-class citizens in our own but they are distributed unfairly, Sha- urgent attention in Gwembe. tive part of our economy unable to the judiciary for close to 10 years and country,” she said. ron Sinonge, parliamentary candidate “Being a valley there’s a need to participate,” he said. Matakala Muso resigned to join politics. Most friends “Many people are suffering be- for Mulobezi constituency in Western improve our agriculture sector, most- He says he will work towards im- and family discouraged me and said cause solidarity is not within us, Province, says. ly small-scale farming, and there’s proving healthcare, education and MATAKALA Muso-Simaubi, par- I am too young and why not make the ability to feel the pain and suf- “So my community needs to have also a need for a radio station for easy roads in Chilubi. liamentary candidate for Nkeyema money first? But the level of medi- fering of another human being and an equal share,” she said. “The So- communication,” he said. Mpundu studied at Kitwe Com- constituency, Western Province, says ocrity in the political scene forced me be moved to do something about it. cialist Party believes in equal distri- Kwalela was educated at Makuyu munity Development Staff Training it is the Socialist Party’s “inclusive to join.” Zambia is two nations: the poor and bution because no one needs to be primary and Pemba secondary College. and easy-to-follow” manifesto that He says the challenges his area the well-to-do.” left behind.” schools and studied mechanical en- led her to join. faces include water, garbage clear- Sikalonza says Luanshya has ur- Sinonge says pressing issues in gineering at Lusaka Trades Training Dennis Mulenga She says it demonstrates that the ance, and a lack of empowerment. gent land problems, with the danger Mulobezi are poor roads, clean water Institute. Socialist Party is a people’s party, Mwila was educated at South End of houses being submerged in the and unqualified professionals, espe- DENNIS Mulenga, parliamentary open to working with anyone regard- primary, Matero Boys’ secondary and rainy season with many people liv- cially in the health services. Chedzo Malambo candidate for Mpongwe constitu- less of their status in society. Munali schools, and holds a bach- ing on mud floors, unable to afford Sinonge was educated at Kany- ency, Copperbelt Province, says he Muso-Simaubi says women are elor’s degree in law. concrete. imba primary and Sichili secondary CHEDZO Malambo, parliamentary joined the Socialist Party because he “the custodians of a better Zambia, schools. candidate for Pemba constituency, was impressed with its manifesto. today and tomorrow, and should not Brian Nyirongo John Simutowe Southern Province, joined the Social- He says there is an urgent need to shun politics”. Namasiku Situmbeko ist Party because of its commitment address the issues of poor roads, the BRIAN Nyirongo, parliamentary JOHN Luole Simutowe, parliamen- to free education, healthcare, and im- quality of education, healthcare and Rabecca Musonda candidate for Kafue constituency, Lu- tary candidate for Katuba constitu- NAMASIKU Situmbeko is the So- proving the lives of the poor. sanitation, and develop sustainable saka Province, says he was attracted ency, Central Province, is inspired cialist Party’s candidate to become She says she will focus on clean agriculture. RABECCA Musonda, candidate to to the Socialist Party because of its by football and believes in political mayor of Livingstone and says she is water, peasant farming and empow- Mulenga attended Simon Kap- become mayor of Lusaka, describes commitment to free education and teamwork. looking forward to helping overcome ering women and young people. wepwe primary and Lubuto second- herself as a fighter. healthcare, and job creation. “I joined the Socialist Party be- the many challenges her city faces. “I will be the voice of the voiceless ary schools, and gained a diploma “I have fought my entire life Nyirongo says challenges in Ka- cause it works as a collective,” he Situmbeko, who was born and ed- and help my fellow women to under- in general agriculture from Nkumbi to achieve whatever little I have fue include unemployment, a lack of said. “As a soccer player, team player ucated in Livingstone and is a teacher stand the benefits of being in politics International College. achieved,” she said. youth skills development and under and being goal-oriented, I believe by profession, says education, un- and knowing their rights,” she said. “I believe women deserve a capitalisation of the main employer, that togetherness will bring develop- employment, healthcare, sanitation, Malambo was educated at Macha Michael Mundambo chance to be at that decision-making Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia. ment to Katuba constituency.” clean and safe drinking water and mission, Pemba basic and Ndondi table, not as spectators but as partici- Nyirongo was educated at Kato- He says Katuba faces many chal- support for peasant farmers are on secondary schools, Kasiya College, A FORMER diplomat to Moscow, pants on an equal footing with every- pola and Shikoswe primary and lenges including a lack of youth em- her agenda. and Monze College of Education. who is the Socialist Party’s parlia- body else.” Naboye secondary schools, and holds ployment and empowerment, poor “We need transparency, a nation mentary candidate for the Kasempa Musonda says the main issues Lu- a Bachelor of Science degree in natu- roads and health services, and a lack free from corruption and the inclu- Laston Mambwe constituency, North-Western Prov- saka city is grappling with are water, ral resources from the University of of sports facilities. sion of women in governance,” she ince, says he joined the revolutionary sanitation, street lighting and market/ Zambia. Simutowe was educated at David said. PARLIAMENTARY candidate for movement because of the “unequal bus station management. Kaunda National Technical High Situmbeko is currently studying Muchinga constituency, Central distribution of our country’s wealth”. Peggy Siamundele School. for bachelor’s degree in history and Province, Laston Mambwe, says he Michael Mundambo says the Mirriam Mwewa religious studies at David Living- joined the Socialist Party “after see- main challenges in his constituency PEGGY Siamundele, parliamen- Stephen Simpemba stone College of Education. ing poor governance by the previous are poor education, a lack of decent MIRRIAM Mwewa, parliamentary tary candidate for Mumbwa, Central regimes”. healthcare and unemployment. candidate for Chifunabuli constitu- Province, joined the Socialist Party STEPHEN Simpemba, parliamentary Janet Zimba “My hope for the revolutionary Mundambo was educated at Sol- ency, Luapula Province, says she because of its manifesto. candidate for Chembe constituency, movement is that it completely over- wezi Secondary School, Solwezi was inspired to join the revolutionary Siamundele says the most press- Luapula Province, says he has long JANET Zimba, parliamentary can- hauls the governance system so that College of Education, Zambia In- movement by the Socialist Party’s ing issues in her area are poor roads, been looking for an opportunity to didate for Lumezi constituency, every organ of government can oper- stitute of Special Education, Evelyn commitment to social justice and its a lack of medicines, farming inputs, help people “who lack opportunities Eastern Province, says, “it is time to ate independently without interfer- Hone College of Applied Science, unifying call for all Zambians to par- and youth unemployment. and services”. say goodbye to tears”, because the ence from politicians,” he said. and the University of Zambia. ticipate in shaping the future. She says her message to her fellow “I want to be a part of the revo- Socialist Party will deliver justice, Mambwe was educated at Mailo “Women in particular have a sig- women is that “enough is enough . . lutionary movement to bring about equity and peace. primary and Serenje secondary Mundia Mukubesa nificant role to play in reshaping the . we are tired of being lied to and in- change, and appreciate the support Zimba, 22, said, “I know what ev- schools, and studied for a teaching future of this nation because, not only timidated.” the party has been giving to the vul- ery woman experiences when there is diploma at Malcom Moffat College MUNDIA Mukubesa, parliamentary are we the majority of the electorate, Siamundele was educated at Itezhi nerable,” he said. poverty at home. After all I have gone of Education. He taught at primary candidate for Kabwata constituency, but we are the most impoverished Tezhi Uphill primary, Kalilwe basic, He says constituency hardships through in life and the people of my schools in Isoka, Nakonde and Seren- Lusaka Province, is a musician popu- and least represented group in both and Mumbwa secondary schools. include poor education, water, sani- constituency are going through I feel je districts before retiring as a head larly known by his stage name, Pe- politics and industry.” She also studied food production at tation, agriculture, healthcare, roads the Socialist Party is the only one that teacher in 2014. tersen Zagaze. The 25-year-old says she will work Mumbwa Youth Resource Centre, and bridges. has solutions.” Mukubesa says he has long wanted towards providing more health posts and nursing at Mukuni Trust Institute. Simpemba was educated at Mw- She says Lumezi suffers from poor Mark Mpundu “to contribute positively to the devel- and improving education, roads, and ense High School, undertook com- roads, lack of a hospital, and not opment of Zambia through commu- access to clean water. Margaret Sikalonza puter studies at Hitech College of enough teachers. MARK Mpundu, parliamentary nity work, intellectual contribution, Science and Technology in Lusaka, Zimba was educated at Chasera candidate for Chilubi constituency, social commentary and private or Simon Mwila MARGARET Sikalonza, parliamen- and has just completed a diploma primary, Mksanga secondary, and Northern Province, says youth unem- public office”. tary candidate for Luanshya constitu- in human resources development at Lundazi boarding schools, and holds ployment is “chronic and endemic in Challenges affecting Kabwata in- LAWYER Simon Mulenga Mwila, ency, Copperbelt Province, says suf- Luanshya Technical and Business a secondary teaching diploma from this broken political system”, and the clude access to clean water, sewer- parliamentary candidate for Lusaka fering “isn’t limited to shortages of College. St Salome College. JUSTICE • EQUITY • PEACE

Socialist Monthly, August 2021 7 GLOBAL VIEW CHINA Millions more COVID cases WATCH INTEREST in China is grow- ing, yet most news and analysis outside the country is produced by mainstream media from the global north. To provide ac- will result from ‘stupidity’ cess to Chinese perspectives, the Dongsheng Collective – re- Capitalists open up economies in defiance of medical advice searchers from various coun- tries – offers a China digest of Robert Stevens news. This is an edited selection. A COVID-19 patient being attended Big tech toes the line THE PANDEMIC in Europe to in a Johannesburg hospital has already led to more than CHINESE big tech companies have signed an anti-monopoly agree- 1.1 million deaths and almost ment, including “self-discipline”, 50 million people infected. fair competition, and consumer It is set to drastically worsen protection, amid the government’s as a new COVID-19 wave regulatory push. Alibaba, Tencent, sweeps the continent. and Bytedance are among the 33 The rampant spread of the virus companies that made the pledge in the UK portends events across at Beijing’s China Internet Confer- ence. the continent. There are dire pre- South China Morning Post dictions that millions more will be infected in Britain in a matter of weeks, where the more infec- Boost for Zhejiang THE government has launched a tious Delta variant already ac- pilot project of “common pros- counts for almost all cases. perity” in Zhejiang province to By May 3, UK daily cases had address regional inequalities and fallen to 1,597, with deaths re- expand the middle class. By 2025, duced to single figures. But Prime the province of 65 million people Minister Boris Johnson’s Con- aims to increase GDP/capita by 30 servative government’s reckless percent (to US$20.340), as well as opening of virtually all the econo- invest in education, health, and ad- my on May 17, allowing the virus vanced technology. to infect the unvaccinated – partic- Global Times ularly children and young people – saw infections reach 10,000 a day by June 18, 20,000 by June 29 and Retirees on the move WHO warns of variant third-wave increase in Africa GRANDPARENTS who move to 30,000 by July 7. cities to raise grandchildren com- The UK’s herd immunity policy THE WORLD Health Organisation has The WHO says more than 251,000 new of public fatigue, social mixing, ineffective warned that a third wave of COVID-19 cases cases were recorded in the week ending use of public health and social measures, prise 43 percent of the elderly mi- was denounced this week by Dr in Africa could get worse as new and faster July 4, making it the “worst pandemic week and vaccine inequity, and the spread of new grant population, which grew from Mike Ryan, the head of the World spreading variants drive infections. ever”. “The worst is yet to come as the fast- variants,” according to WHO director general 5 to 13 million (2000-15), figures Health Organisation’s (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The highly transmissible Delta variant is moving third wave continues to gain speed show. Retirees hope to support emergencies programmes, and by and new ground,” WHO regional director for South Africa is also reporting a sustained spreading to more and more countries. their adult children, but challenges 122 scientists and doctors who New weekly cases have now overtaken the Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said. increase in cases, with Gauteng Province, where Johannesburg is located, leading with include differences in language, wrote a letter published in the Lan- weekly numbers recorded at the height of There are 23 countries on the continent infections. social habits, opinions about child- cet, one of the world’s premiere the second wave in January this year, with that have so far experienced a third wave of The number of COVID-related deaths rearing, and feelings of isolation medical journals. Ryan stated, “the less than 2 percent of the continent fully infections, with Senegal and Malawi the lat- increased by 28 percent in the past month, est two to be affected. and homesickness. logic of more people being infect- vaccinated. according to Africa CDC data. There were New cases have been increasing for seven Of those, 13 are experiencing a more The World of Chinese ed is better, is I think logic that has significant increases in South Africa (39 weeks running and rose by an average of severe wave than before, the Africa CDC percent), DR Congo (24) and Kenya (23). proven its moral emptiness and its 28 percent week-on-week over the month to says, with Uganda, the Democratic Republic The continent’s average death rate has epidemiological stupidity previ- of Congo, Namibia, Zambia, Rwanda and been at 2.6 percent for some months now, Space bid takes off July 4, according to the Africa Centres for CHINA’S successful space pro- ously”. Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Tunisia the worst hit. “This is driven by a mix above the global average of 2.2 percent. Opposing propaganda that vac- gramme is beginning to challenge US hegemony over space explora- cines have “broken the link be- be dominant in all of Europe with- surge in cases in one week alone. the dangers faced by the working tion of the working class against tion in the popular imagination. tween infection and mortality”, the in weeks. Every European government class, involving the mass media the murderous agenda of the Fashion, toys, fast food, and cin- letter in the Lancet described end- If anything, the escalation of knows the dangers of another wave and with the eager assistance of the ruling elite. The statement of the ema are referencing the country’s ing anti-COVID measures on July infections and deaths are likely of the pandemic, but no coordinat- trade unions and social democratic European sections concluded, space programme, which makes 19 as “embarking on a dangerous to be more telescoped than in the ed action is being taken to combat parties. “The task now facing the growing use of Chinese mythology, such as and unethical experiment”. Calling UK. Almost 70 percent of Britain’s it. Their only concern is to fling However, not only does substan- mobilisation and political Chang’e lunar mission named after for the entire population to be fully population have received one dose, open economies continent-wide so tial opposition still exist among radicalisation of the working class a moon goddess. vaccinated, it declared, “The link and more than 51 percent have re- that profits continue to flow into Europe’s workers, it threatens to in Europe is the struggle to seize The Conversation between infection and death might ceived the required two doses. By the coffers of the corporations and ignite under conditions where the the resources stolen by the ruling have been weakened, but it has not contrast, 63 percent of Europe’s banks. ruling class offensive to destroy class in years of obscene bailouts, been broken, and infection can still population has still not received a Mass super-spreader events are jobs, wages and social services and bring down the EU governments, The power of carbon CHINA’S national carbon trading cause substantial morbidity in both first dose. Half the elderly and 40 not only encouraged but celebrated claw back the cost of the multi-tril- overthrow the capitalist system, market reached US$32.48 million acute and long-term illness.” percent of healthcare workers are as proof that things are truly “back lion-euro bailouts of big business and replace the reactionary EU on its opening day, with participa- Herd immunity is, however, the unvaccinated. to normal”. The delayed 2020 is bringing social and political ten- with the United Socialist States of policy of every European govern- The grave situation threatening European Championship soccer tion from 2,225 power-generation sions to the breaking point. Europe.” companies. Representing 40 per- ment. Last October, Johnson in- millions of the unvaccinated is tournament has been attended by This has already led to an erup- This demands the formation sisted, behind closed doors, that cent of China’s energy-related epitomised by Russia. With daily 1.4 million spectators, with 24 na- tion of working class opposition of workplace rank-and-file com- there must be no more lockdowns, carbon emissions, over 4.1 million caseloads around a third less than tional teams playing in 11 different internationally, including mass mittees operating independently declaring, “Let the bodies pile high the UK, deaths have topped 700 a cities across Europe. But dwarfing tons of quotas were traded in what protests in Latin America and from the nationalist, pro-capitalist in their thousands.” But this is now day because only 13 percent of the the attendance of 66,000 at Lon- will become the world’s largest car- strikes at Warrior Met Coal, Frito- trade unions. The ICFI sections the undeclared mantra of the ruling population is fully vaccinated. don’s Wembley stadium for the fi- bon market. Lay and Volvo trucks in the United have been working to mobilise key elite everywhere. It is what is real- By the first week of July infec- nal between England and Italy are Global Times States, all in defiance of efforts sections of workers in education, ly meant by French President Em- tions had already jumped by 10 the scenes of city centres turned by the trade union bureaucracy to transport and other sectors and manuel Macron and his ilk when percent across 53 countries consti- into massive “fan zones”, along Investing in stability impose sellout contracts.Recently championing unified cross-border they insist that we must all “learn tuting the WHO’s European region with the pubs and bars across Eu- CHINA has committed to playing Volvo workers in Ghent, Belgium, action of all workers now coming to live with the virus”. area. This surge is worst in coun- rope packed to the rafters. a “constructive” role for regional into struggle, such as in the strikes Across the continent, social tries where governments have al- The policy of the ruling class mounted a wildcat strike against a stability as US troops withdraw by Volvo workers in the US and distancing and all other safety lowed tourism to resume. means the continuation of the pan- similar sellout by their union. from Afghanistan after their 20- measures are being junked in what demic and, with it, mass death and Belgium. year war. China is a leading inves- Britain’s Daily Mail celebrated Dominant social devastation. The only social Murderous The working class must mount tor in Afghanistan, which shares a as a “bonfire of coronavirus - con force able to stop this war on so- a unified fightback. It must ake 90km border with Xinjiang. It is trols”, aimed at liberating the oper- According to the Financial ciety is the international working Everything now depends on the control out of the hands of the reported to hold the world’s largest ations of big business. The impact Times, the Delta variant accounts class. working class adopting a new axis capitalists and their political repre- unused energy and mineral reserves will be devastating. for 30 percent of all cases in Spain At the beginning of the pandem- of struggle and building the leader- sentatives; repeal the multi-billion (around US$1 trillion). Almost 100,000 new cases a day “and is set to become dominant ic, it was the action of workers who ship necessary to fight for it. bailouts handed to big business South China Morning Post are already being recorded across around July 17”. Spain reported walked out on strike at key auto, Last September, the European and redirect financial and indus- Europe. In the last week there were 32,607 new cases in one day and machining and food-processing sections of the International Com- trial resources toward fighting the Banking on the yuan 570,251 infections, up 40 percent has already recorded more coro- plants in Italy and across Europe mittee of the Fourth International pandemic and ensuring the safety AROUND 70.8 million transac- on the previous week. Nearly navirus cases this year than in the that forced governments to impose (ICFI), the Sozialistische Gleich- of the population and safeguarding tions totalling US$5.3 billion in 1,000 people are dying every day. whole of 2020, hitting the young the initial lockdowns and to bring heitspartei (Germany), Social- jobs and essential services from digital yuan trials have been made In Europe too, infection is being hardest. Portugal, where the Delta in furlough schemes to damp down ist Equality Party (UK), Parti destruction. And, above all, it must since 2019, according to a Central driven by the more transmissible variant already accounts for 70 social opposition. de L’égalité Socialiste (France) build sections of the ICFI in ev- Bank report. China will continue Delta variant. The WHO’s regional percent of cases, has recorded the Today this forced retreat by and its sympathising section in ery country to wage the necessary trials through next year’s Winter director for Europe, Hans Kluge, highest daily cases since Febru- the ruling class has ended. There Turkey, Sosyalist Eşitlik, called struggle for socialism. Olympics in Beijing. predicts that the Delta variant will ary. Greece has seen a 200 percent is a systematic effort to minimise for the continent-wide mobilisa- wsws.org Nikkei Asia 8 Socialist Monthly, August 2021 GLOBAL VIEW Violence and the ‘great refusal’ to accept the dictates of power Vijay Prashad di- In 2018, we interviewed AbM leader S’bu Zikode for a dossier, in cusses the many forms which he said: that political violence “Politics has become a way to takes as state power get rich and people are willing to kill or to do anything to become and security forces rich and to stay rich. We move crack down on people from funeral to funeral. We bury trying to express their our comrades with the dignity that they were denied in life. Many political rights of our comrades cannot sleep in their own homes or cannot leave their home after dark in the so- UGLINESS defines the mood called democratic post-apartheid of state violence from Cali South Africa. Repression comes in (Colombia) to Durban (South waves.” Africa), each context different Bonono is only the latest of the AbM members to face political and the depth of the violence repression. Brave activists from particular to the location. one end of the planet to the other Images of security forces face intimidation and murder for cracking down on people trying building organisations against the to express their political rights present. This repression resulted have become commonplace. It in the recent police killing of the is impossible to keep track of the artist Nicolas Guerrero in Cali events, which move swiftly from (Colombia) and the political mur- public manifestations to court- der of Kakali Khetrapal of the room scenes, from the dissipa- Communist Party of India (Marx- tion of tear gas to the invisible ist) from Nabagram, East Burdwan frustration of the prison cell. (West Bengal, India). Guerrero was killed on the streets during Yet, underlying these events and the first hours of this protest wave, amidst the range of feelings that while Ketrapal was murdered by shape them, lies a sense of refusal members of the party that won the – the great refusal – the refusal to West Bengal legislative election. accept the terms dictated by those This is political cleansing or politi- in power, and the refusal to express cide, the murder of activists whose this dissent in polite terms. deaths deflate the confidence of the Colombia’s government de- masses to take on the great granite cided to push through a pecu- block of power. Sharpening their liarly named Sustainable Soli- swords in the shadows, the killers darity Law (Ley de Solidaridad take their orders from cell phones Sostenible) that transferred the that can dial the homes of the pow- financial cost of the pandemic onto erful. the population, which reacted – as It is ugly, this use of power, this expected – with anger. killing with impunity. On May 6, Faced with a national strike in squadrons of the state entered the April, the Colombian state re- favela of Jacarezinho in Rio de sponded, as it often does, with Janeiro (Brazil) and opened fire, wildly harsh violence, including killing at least 25 people who ap- by mobilising the dangerously peared to surrender before the named Mobile Anti-Disturbance guns blazed. The United Nations Squadron (ESMAD). Those on the has called for an investigation, but streets came with rage and with that will not go far. Brazil’s 1988 music, the range of responses unit- constitution abolished the death ed by antipathy to the government penalty, yet the evidence suggests of President Iván Duque. that the police believe that if you The unflinching Colombian oli- live in the favelas, then the death garchy, which has dispensed vio- Clockwise from the top: Tiger Tateishi (Japan), Samurai, the Watcher (Koya no Yojinbo), 1965. Dang Xuan Hoa (Vietnam), The Red sentence – without judicial review lence to maintain its power, must Family, 2008. David Koloane (South Africa), Bull in the City, 2016 – is permitted. have trembled when it saw protes- What kind of times are these tors in Cali take down the statue of tions Economic and Social Com- March 3 this year, the lead pros- into Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque of colonialism. When the people when political repression operates Sebastián de Belalcázar, a conquis- mission on West Asia (ESCWA), ecutor at the International Criminal on May 7, mimicking the violence form their own organisations and without sufficient outrage? tador. This act suggested that the which used the word “apartheid” Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, said of the Colombian ESMAD. develop their demands for par- protestors would not be satisfied to describe Israel’s racist policies the ICC would open an investiga- Terrible repression comes along- ticipatory forms of democracy, only with the reversal of the pro- towards the Palestinian people. tion into crimes committed in Isra- side the continued attempt to dele- the ruling class, Fanon writes, has posed law, but that they wanted to HRW, which has taken its time to el since 2014. Israel has refused to gitimise any political project of the an incapacity to understand this overturn the rigid hierarchies that come to these elementary conclu- cooperate with the ICC. Palestinian people. If the Palestin- popular action as rational; it sees govern their society. sions, says that Israel harshly de- Israeli courts decided to move ian people stand up, Israel calls this popular action as a threat to its Duque does not see the prives Palestinians of the right to ahead with the eviction of six them terrorists. This mirrors the rule. Such an attitude governs the protestors as citizens; to him, they affirm life, “these deprivations are families from the Palestinian way the South African apartheid Colombian oligarchy and the Is- are “vandals”. so severe that they amount to the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah government and their Western al- raeli apartheid class. It also defines No wonder Duque let loose the crimes against humanity of apart- in East Jerusalem – an area with lies described the African National the ruling class in South Africa, ugliest of violence, with the cit- heid and persecution”. 3,000 residents – despite the fact Congress during the heyday of the whose political instruments can- ies of Bogotá, Cali, and Medel- that the Israeli courts have no juris- anti-apartheid struggle. not find the room to allow for the lin facing the brunt of the attack. Resolution diction in the occupied territories. In 1994, the African National growth of the independent political Despite calls from the mayors of In 1967, Israel seized East Jeru- Congress alliance took power over organisation of the working class Bogotá (Claudia López) and Me- The linkage between the terms salem, which forms part of the oc- the South African state, beginning in that country. l MUIN Bseiso sang songs to dellin (Daniel Quintero), this state “apartheid” and “crimes against cupied Palestinian territories. UN a long-term process to dismantle rouse his fellow Palestinians violence nonetheless went ahead, humanity” refers to a United Na- resolution 242 (1967) states that the the entrenched structures of in- Repression in Gaza, suffocated by apart- the battlefield in the streets coming tions General Assembly resolu- occupying power, namely Israel, equality and apartheid. It will take heid Israel. In his epic poem, Al- to resemble Iraq, in the words of a tion �����������������������������from������������������������� December 1966 that con- must respect the sovereignty,������� po- generations of resistance to undo On May 4 this year, the au- Ma’raka (‘The Battle’), Muin Bsei- Colombian friend who had covered demned “the policies of apartheid litical independence and “territo- what has been so powerfully set in thorities arrested Mqapheli George so (above) found this solace: the wars in West Asia. Like Iraq, of the government of South Africa rial inviolability” of every state in place over the past decades. Bonono, the deputy president of If I fall in the struggle, comrade, or like Israel, recently named an as a crime against humanity”. the area. In August 2020, Tricontinental: Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM), take my place. apartheid state by Human Rights In 1984, the UN Security In 1972, Israeli settlers moved Institute for Social Research pub- the shack dwellers’ movement Gaze at my lips as they stop the Watch (HRW). Council described apartheid as “a the Israeli courts to evict the thou- lished a dossier titled The Politic in South Africa. The authorities wind’s madness. Apartheid is an Afrikaans word system characterised as a crime sands of Palestinians who lived in of Blood: Political Repression in charged Bonono with “conspiring I have not died. meaning “apartness”, to keep the against humanity”. The term the area, a process that has been re- South Africa. Early into the text, we to commit murder”. Led by shack I still call you from beyond my whites apart from others or, in the “crime against humanity” has sisted by the Palestinians in the 50 quote from Frantz Fanon’s Wretch- dwellers, AbM – which organises wounds. case of Israel, to keep the Jewish subsequently been enshrined in years since. The brazen violence of ed of the Earth (1961), which sev- land occupation and housing strug- Bang your drum so that the people might hear your citizens apart from the Palestinian Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the Israeli border police, or Magav, eral times uses the word “incapac- gles with a membership of 82,000 call to battle. subjects. The HRW report follows the International Criminal Court was further escalated with the entry ity” to refer to the ruling classes people – has faced repression since numerous others by the United Na- (1998). It is no coincidence that on of heavily armed Israeli soldiers of the new states that emerge out its foundation in 2005. Tricontinental Socialist Monthly, August 2021 9 GLOBAL VIEW Díaz-Canel blames US for Cuban protests Call for revolutionaries to support government

Alexander Fangmann by the same factors that are bring- ing workers and youth elsewhere into the streets: the increasingly THOUSANDS of Cubans unbearable conditions of life and have engaged in mass dem- stifling political repression. onstrations in and near Ha- The motivations for the Cuban protests are similar to those behind vana and other cities through- the protracted mass demonstrations out the country in the largest in Colombia, which have been far wave of protests on the island more brutally repressed, but given since 1994. a fraction of the attention by the Like the earlier Maleconazo, US media. the current wave of protests has Already difficult due to a drop- been driven by years of econom- off in subsidies from Venezuela, ic hardship, with the COVID-19 itself in deep crisis, economic con- ditions over the past year have President Miguel Díaz-Canel: pandemic serving as a trigger deteriorated even further as the We must be able to see when event to expose the foundations COVID-19 pandemic caused inter- we are being manipulated of the Cuban government’s pet- national tourism to evaporate and domiciliary hospitalisation in the On television, Díaz-Canel made perhaps more ominously, “We are a “humanitarian convoy” across ty-bourgeois nationalist perspec- even affected the sugar harvest, wake of insufficient capacities in clear the government understood prepared to do anything.” the Francisco de Paula Santander tive. which was the smallest since 1908. a group of Cuban provinces,” and legitimate grievances were be- This earned a rebuke from Julie bridge connecting Colombia and Protests appear to have begun in Officially, the economy shrank 11 urged Cubans to “have a more di- ing aired by layers of the popula- Chung, Acting Assistant US Sec- Venezuela in 2019. US puppet Juan San Antonio de los Baños, a mu- percent, the biggest contraction rect and responsible participation”. tion acting independently of US- retary of State for the Bureau of Guaidó and the right-wing opposi- nicipality southwest of the capital. since 1993. Cuba’s vaccination efforts have backed, “pro-democracy” figures, Western Hemisphere Affairs, who tion in Venezuela had hoped the However, as videos circulated on As a result of the decline in been slow, with only around three but claimed they were being ma- tweeted, “We are deeply concerned trucks laden with supplies provid- social media, they quickly spread hard currency earnings, imports to million Cubans having received at nipulated by these forces into pro- by ‘calls to combat’ in #Cuba. We ed by the CIA-linked United States elsewhere, including Havana, and the island have fallen 40 percent, least one dose of vaccine and just testing. stand by the Cuban people’s right Agency for International Devel- most of the country’s major cit- leading to pervasive shortages 15 percent fully vaccinated. Rather “We must make clear to our for peaceful assembly. We call for opment (USAID) would provoke ies, including Santiago de Cuba, and widespread anger over the than import foreign-produced vac- people that one can be dissatisfied, calm and condemn any violence.” mass defections from the Venezu- Santa Clara, Matanzas, Cienfuegos hours-long daily queuing that has cines, Cuba has developed its own that’s legitimate, but we must be Miami Mayor Francis Suarez elan military and lead to popular and Holguín, as well as numerous become necessary to obtain basic vaccines, named Soberana-02 and able to see clearly when we’re be- called for US military interven- support for ousting Maduro. smaller towns such as Palma So- commodities. Abdala, which require multiple ing manipulated,” he said. tion, “to protect the Cuban people Cuban workers must reject the riano. There is also increasing anger doses, using older vaccine devel- from a bloodbath,” while the Biden machinations of US imperialism While some protesters advanced over the government’s response opment technologies. Combat administration issued an official and call for the release of all de- slogans including “Freedom” and to the pandemic, which has seen A Cuban study indicates the Ab- statement of staggering hypocrisy tained protesters. “Down with the dictatorship”, oth- deaths per day skyrocket and a dala vaccine, which requires three calling for the Cuban government As in all countries, the only way Elsewhere, Díaz-Canel stated, ers called attention to increasing near collapse of the health system doses two weeks apart, is around to respect the Cuban people’s to bring the pandemic under con- “As if pandemic outbreaks had hunger and food shortages, and in in Matanzas as the Delta variant 92 percent effective, but the study “right of peaceful protest and the trol and solve even the most basic not existed all over the world, the some cases demanded COVID-19 has taken hold. As Cuba saw 6,422 has not been published, and was right to freely determine their own social problems is for workers to Cuban-American mafia, paying vaccines and other medical sup- new cases, Francisco Durán, na- carried out prior to the predomi- future” and to “serve their needs at take the fate of society into their plies as cases of the Delta variant tional director of epidemiology, nance of the Delta variant. very well on social networks to this vital moment rather than en- own hands. flare. Protesters also looted some said during a video conference, “I In an attempt to echo Fidel Cas- influencers and YouTubers, has riching themselves”. The only way forward for the “dollar stores”, widely hated as don’t have to say that this is the tro’s own personal appeal to pro- created a whole campaign and has One of the more cynical calls Cuban working class is to study the symbols of inequality where those worst day for Cuba since the start testers to back down in 1994, Díaz- called for demonstrations across has been for the opening of a “hu- lessons of the Cuban Revolution with access to dollars are able to of the pandemic.” Canel visited San Antonio de los the country.” manitarian channel” for medicine and the whole experience of Cas- purchase imported items at inflated Just a few days later, Cuba saw Baños after the protests and report- Following the protests, Díaz- and supplies, which has been sup- troism as elaborated in the analysis prices. a record 6,923 cases and 47 deaths, edly entered several homes to take Canel called for “revolutionaries ported on social media using the of the ICFI and work to establish in a country of just under 11.2 mil- questions from residents, many of to the streets” in support of the hash-tag #SOSCuba. a section of the International Com- Internet lion, with cases basically doubling whom were reportedly fed up with government and said, “The order The call for humanitarian aid in mittee in Cuba. over the previous week. Having widespread power outages. to combat has been given,” and this way recalls the attempt to push wsws.org There were numerous clashes seen only 12,200 cases in all of with police, as officials carried out 2020, the island has now recorded arrests of protesters and deployed over 232,000 so far in 2021, while tear gas and other repressive mea- deaths have risen from 146 to a to- This is the latest move in an imperialist war sures, in some cases leading pro- tal of 1,579. As Socialist went to testers to overturn police cars or press there were over 32,000 active THE PARTY for Socialism and Liberation The corporate media in the United States is Like other “colour revolution” coup at- pelt them with rocks and concrete. cases in the country. (PSL) says it stands in full solidarity with pointing to these demonstrations as evidence tempts, such as in Venezuela in 2014, the the Cuban Revolution, its government, and that the people of Cuba oppose the revolu- break-out of the protests at the same time In a bid to shut down the protests, More than half the recent cases the government has been intermit- people in the struggle against the latest tionary government. As always, these outlets suggests planning by opposition elements. have occurred in the province of sinister counterrevolutionary efforts of US are completely distorting the situation and Since the Revolution took power in 1959, tently cutting off internet access. Matanzas, whose famous Varadero imperialism. covering up the criminal role of the United Cuba has endured hundreds of US-sponsored Among those arrested were beach resort reopened to interna- PSL is a communist party in the United States. And they are ignoring the mobilisa- terrorist attacks, CIA assassination attempts Frank García Hernández and others tional tourism in November of last States, established in 2004. tions held in response by Cubans who sup- of its leaders, and a relentless and vicious associated with the “Comunistas”. year. The 60-year-old blockade and hundreds of port the revolution, as well as the efforts of economic war aimed at cutting off Cuban García Hernández was the confer- Public health policy has been sanctions imposed under the Trump adminis- the top leadership of the country to directly trade, not only with the United States but the ence organiser of the “International subordinated to economic consid- tration have caused grave shortages of food, engage with the people in the areas where the entire world. medicines, electricity and other necessities demonstrations occurred. For more than six decades, Washington Academic Event Leon Trotsky ” erations, just as they have been in May 2019, and played a central of life. The United States has a long and bloody has sought to inflict the greatest suffering elsewhere, including the United The shortages have greatly exacerbated history of coups and “regime change” opera- on the people in the hope it would lead to role in barring the International States. With the surge in case num- the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tions; including in Iran, Guatemala, Congo, counterrevolution. All of these measures are Committee of the Fourth Inter- bers, the province has run out of island. The pandemic has virtually eliminated Greece, Chile, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq, a form of punishment for Cuba for having national from participating in the hospital beds, leading the govern- the economically vital tourism industry, Yugoslavia, Libya, Ukraine and elsewhere. broken free after 60 years as a US neo-colony conference, which was attended by ment to “hospitalise” patients at greatly reduced remittances and contributed Most often in recent years, coups have and set out on a course of independent Pabloites and other representatives home. to major problems in the already-limited come in the form of “colour revolutions”, development. global supply chains serving the island. beginning with what falsely appear to be No working person in the United States of the pseudo-left. Appearing on television, Cuba’s Although there is much confu- The recent protests taking place in Cuba spontaneous popular protests, following or elsewhere should be fooled – this is the President Miguel Díaz-Canel re- have focused on the shortages and economic the imposition of extreme sanctions and latest manifestation of an imperialist war to sion among the protesters, for the ferred to these problems, admit- deprivations caused by the intensification of blockades designed to strangle the targeted destroy Cuban independence and socialism. most part they appear to be driven ting, “Now, we have to implement the US blockade during the time of COVID. country’s economy and foment discontent. Liberation

10 Socialist Monthly, August 2021 GLOBAL VIEW

Colette Omogbai (Nigeria), Agony, 1963 Sandra Eleta (Panama), La Servidumbre, 1978-79 Olga Rozanova (Russia), In the Street, 1915 Women fight back after suffering exclusionary politics, misogyny Rights groups and the Left push for gender equality in the face of crises

l Lack of respect for women as and often results in a greater in- l Women had been important Vijay Prashad Yan’an to join the commu- well as inadequate promotion and crease in care work in the long beneficiaries of the government’s nist revolution, studying at term. Furthermore, as the Interna- protection of women’s human Kàngda and helping to build rural work scheme, which saw an rights. the economic resilience of tional Labour Organisation points almost 35 percent reduction in the LAST YEAR, in a major re- l Persistent discrimination against the base areas. out, “women are not only hit by government’s 2020-21 budget. In port, UN Women concluded and violations of the rights of the After 1949, Chen worked in the loss of jobs but also by expen- April-May 2021, jobs provided that the gains made over the girl child. the Communist Party (rising diture cuts that contract public ser- through this scheme fell by 21 per- past quarter century have been l Insufficient mechanisms at all to be an alternate Politburo vice provision, in particular care cent. levels to promote the advancement member), in the Chinese state services”. Women who worked in the eroded, a result of the climate (becoming the governor of of women. A survey by UNAIDS found the People’s Bank of China), handicraft and small industries emergency, cruel austerity that 47 percent �����������of LGBTQIA+� ����re- As part of the forum held in Par- and in the women’s move- sector – including through piece- policies, conflict, violence, the is, a group of agencies – includ- ment (leading the All-China spondents faced economic difficul- rate and home-based production “rise of exclusionary politics, ing the World Health Organisation Women’s Federation). ty, with “a quarter unable to meet – saw the sector stutter during the characterised by misogyny (WHO) – released a set of 12���� ���pa- At the Beijing conference, their basic needs, skipping meals, second wave and fail to make any and xenophobia”, the entire pers that considered developments Chen made a strong plea for or reducing meal sizes”. recovery in the months since then. in the past 25 years, with an em- the emancipation of women. Hidden in the shadows of these At the Paris meeting, UN Wom- care economy being held up l “It is evident that women phasis on the social impact of the IN 1995, delegates elected reports are the realities of women en’s Mlambo-Ngcuka said, “Wom- Chen Muhua (1921-2011) as are crying out for an improve- by women, and other factors. pandemic. who live in rural areas. In India, en everywhere in the world are But women are fighting back: the president of the UN World ment in their status. The The lead paper notes that it “is times demand it. Humanity for instance, rural women make squeezed into a small corner”. But across the world, trade and ag- Conference on Women. disheartening that still not one In 1938, Chen went to aspires to it,” she said. up 81.29 percent of the female they are, of course, fighting back. ricultural unions, women’s or- country can claim to have achieved workforce, but only 12.9 percent Across the world, trade unions ganisations and human rights of them hold land. Most of these gender equality”. Furthermore, head of UN Women, Phumzile Of the many important points, and agricultural unions, women’s groups, as well as political par- women are landless agricultural “the COVID-19 pandemic has Mlambo-Ngcuka, told the forum, here are some to consider: organisations and human rights ties of the Left are pushing back, been a serious setback for gender workers or informal sector “Women make up one quarter of l 510 million women around the groups, as well as political parties equality and women’s health”. workers. During the most recent stepping out of the corner, and those who are managers, they are world – about 40 percent of all of the Left are pushing back, step- wave of the pandemic to strike seeking to put the agenda of Some key requirements for a working women – are employed in ping out of the corner, and seeking one quarter of parliamentarians India, 5.7 million rural women’s working women on the table. way forward emerge out of these the sectors hit hardest by the to put the agenda of working wom- around the world, they are one jobs vanished in April 2021; this Between June 30 and July 2 this 12 papers: pandemic, such as entertainment, en on the table. The demands being quarter of those who negotiate job loss accounts for nearly 80 per- year, the United Nations and other l ‘The first requirement is that food service, hospitality, made are basic. Eighteen of them climate change, they are less than cent of all job losses that month. multilateral organisations held the paid employment and unpaid care manufacturing, and tourism. are at the end of CoronaShock and one quarter of those who negotiate Recoveries in May were anaemic. Generation Equality Forum in Par- work are valued equally, recognis- l Women are disproportionately Patriarchy study. Here is a summa- peace agreements. All these deci- The Tricontinental: Institute for is (France). The forum was held ing the fact that many women are found in the informal sector (60 ry, condensed into eight demands: sions have a fundamental impact Social Research dossier on the to commemorate the 25th anni- not employed or work in informal percent), where they do not receive l Nominate leaders of working- on their capacity to have a life that farmers’ revolt is important reading versary of the Beijing Declaration sectors and that women bear a dis- social and economic protections. class women’s organisations to in- is meaningful.” for the context of the crisis in rural and Platform for Action set out at proportionate burden of unpaid l Women have been more like- fluential bodies that shape policy. Last year, in a major report, UN India. Nikore Associates, based in the Fourth World Conference on care work”. ly than men to lose their jobs l Recognise and count informal Women concluded that the gains Delhi, offered four reasons for the Women (1995). Re-reading the l Universal coverage for health- during the pandemic. During the women workers in national ac- made over the past quarter century crisis experienced by rural women: Beijing Platform shows that rather care is necessary, with compre- pandemic, at least 64 million wom- counts. have been eroded. l In rural India, before the pan- than advance the cause of justice hensive sexual and reproductive en lost their jobs, with an income l Ensure that informal workers The main drivers of this reversal demic, women spent 5.017 hours and equality, many countries healthcare included in the cover- decline of at least US$800 billion. have basic workplace protections. are a combination of the climate have slipped backwards. Critical age. This does not include women in per day on unpaid care work; in l Provide immediate cash relief areas of concern to be addressed l Universal social protections emergency, cruel austerity policies, the informal sector, which is the comparison, men spent 1.67 hours and food relief to women workers. included the following: should include provisions for conflict, violence, the “rise of ex- main arena for working women in per day. During the pandemic, l Provide immediate healthcare l The burden of poverty on wom- childcare, paid parental, sick, and clusionary politics, characterised southern Asia and in Africa. as family members fell ill, the coverage to all workers. en. family care leave, and a pension by misogyny and xenophobia”, the Studies from around the world compulsion of care work fell on l Place a moratorium on rent and l Inequalities and inadequacies for the elderly. entire care economy being held up show that women had to cut back the shoulders of women. utilities payments. in access to education, training, l Women’s movements must be by women, and other factors. on their hours of employment due l Due to the lockdowns and other l Enhance social protection sys- healthcare, employment, and deci- supported, and women must par- These reasons are now com- to increased care obligations dur- pressures, women, who supple- tems, including child and elder sion-making. ticipate fully in the construction of pounded by the pandemic, which, ing the pandemic and that these mented their incomes by trading care programmes. l Violence against women, in- policies in all sectors of society. as our study CoronaShock and cuts impact long-term pay and goods and agricultural produce, l Provide credit to women’s co- cluding the grave dangers for Reflecting on the role of women Patriarchy showed, has hit women pensions. This also impacts the including selling fish, found it dif- operatives. women in armed conflict. in politics and government, the very hard. ability of women to return to work ficult to go to the markets. Tricontinental

Socialist Monthly, August 2021 11 ON AUGUST 12 VOTE FRED M’MEMBE FOR PRESIDENT #Zivotele

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