Southern Africa Vol. l~o, 1 llBj~l])@lli~ November 1997 South Africa No-w: Cosatu, Thabo Mbeki and the ANC Conference price: $ 4.50 ~©w~Thl®num ~ifnv~©®, November 1997 REPORT Vol. 13 No.1 Contents Editorial: Cheque Up . 1 Besieged in Mafeking The ANC Congress ..... 3 The Mbeki Enigma . .... 6 Southern Africa Which Way Labour? Cosatu's 6th Congress REPORT 12 is produced quarterly by a collective A poem: of TCLSAC, the Toronto Committee for Links between Southern Africa & Testament for the First Accused Canada Nelson Mandela for the Twenty-Seven Years 16 427 Bloor St. West Toronto, Ontario M5S 1X7 Striking Back Tel. ( 416) 967-5562 Worker Militancy in Zimbabwe 18 email: [email protected] web site: www.web.net/~tclsac/ Submissions, suggestions and help in Struggle Against Silence production are welcome and invited Reclaiming History in Namibia 22 ISSN 0820-5582 Member: Canadian Magazine Success Story? Publishers Association Bretton Woods Backlash in Mozambique . 26 Indexed in: Canadian Index; Canadian Business & Current Affairs Crossed Purposes All rights reversed Migrant Attitudes in Southern Africa 30 Subscriptions Southern Africa Report subscription & TCLSAC membership rates: SAR Collective SUBSCRIPTION: Individual (per year) $18.00 Institution (per year) $40.00 Margie Adam, Stephen Allen, Carolyn Bassett, MEMBERSHIP: (includes subscription) Christine Beckermann, Lois Browne, Marlea Clarke, Regular . $35.00 David Cooke, Mamie Lucas-Zerbe, John S. Saul, Unemployed Marit Stiles, Lauren Swenarchuk, Student . $18.00 Joe Vise, Mary Vise Senior Sustainer . over $100.00 Overseas add $10.00 Cover design by Art Work Cover photo by Paula Bronstein - Impact Visuals Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 569607 Cheque Up An editorial in which an honest answer to a pressing question is demanded from SAR's loyal readers "South Africa Now." We think "COSATU, Thabo Mbeki and the reportage and analysis later in the the table of contents for this issue ANC Congress" - evoked by such issue from such SAR regulars as of Southern Africa Report speaks a title: knowledgeable contributors Lauren Dobell, Richard Saunders for itself. And so does the roster like Glenn Adler and Eddie Webster, and Joseph Hanlon, commenting of authors we've assembled to help Rein Marais and Tom Lodge, for on developments elsewhere in the us through the maze of issues - starters. Plus more top-of-the-line region: in Namibia, in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa REPOR T november 1997 1 in Mozambique. And there's even from that can enable us to continue capitalism seems much more likely a long, powerful poem, previously to turn that energy to productive to draw our struggles closer together unpublished, by Ghanaian author account? than it is to stretch them further and activist Abena Busia to add apart! spice to our usual recipe. Let's be frank, and put money first - even though we all would Perhaps this is why, here at This is solid, topical stuff, we feel more comfortable, no doubt, SAR, our energy remains pretty hope you'll agree - well written, putting politics first . For unfortu­ much undimmed - although it well argued, well considered, and nately, right now, money has be­ would be helpful to hear from pretty much unavailable elsewhere, come the crunch issue for us. Sub­ our readers that you share this either in Africa or beyond. What's scriptions and newsstand sales have sense of the importance of the task more, it's the kind of coverage loyal only ever taken us part way towards we're undertaking and are even readers have come to expect from financial solvency (in part because prepared to involve yourself in it SAR year after year (and now into some of those subs have been and re­ more actively: giving us more feed­ our thirteenth year) - or so you main complementaries to those, par­ back, sending us articles and other tell us when, from time to time, we ticularly in Africa, who can't read­ publishable materials, touting the hear from you, by e-mail or by word ily afford to receive this magazine). magazine to other potential readers, of mouth. Moreover, so strong is We have had other sources of fi­ subscribers and distributors, be they the present issue that we've decided, nancial support in the past, much institutions (libraries, book shops, for once, to leave you, our gentle of it from our own pockets here at conferences, political organizations) readers, on your own recognizance, SAR (and from those of members of or friends. SAR is nothing if not without benefit of our customary our home organization, the Toronto a collective endeavour, not least to editorial dash of bitters, to savour Committee for Links between South­ those closest to it. But we're eager its contents to your mind's delight. ern Africa and Canada [TCLSAC]). and willing to expand the sense of We've also received funding, over the your own joint ownership of the Fact is, too, that we have years, from a number of other or­ enterprise by incorporating any and something of even more pressing ganizations and agencies dedicated all of you who are ready to enlist. urgency to share with you in this to the southern African struggle. But, ah yes, funds. Our pockets editorial space. We begin with Now, however, many such organiza­ are only so deep and here, especially, a question. Just how important, tions and agencies have, in the post­ we both need help and welcome it really, is SAR to you? To apartheid epoch, either moved on to eagerly. Case in point: recently we you, not merely as consumers of other fronts or have merely folded heard from one of our old comrades information about southern Africa their tents, satisfied with a job well in TCLSAC, one who had indeed (although we trust SAR provides done. moved on to other fronts of struggle you much information that you as the primary focus of her reading couldn't readily obtain elsewhere), Much of this is understandable, and her politics. But, for her, the but also as members of that broader of course. But freedom, of a sense of the importance of southern community which still shares a sort, for southern Africa has come Africa issues remains intact, just a commitment to helping facilitate to mean financial crunch time for bit lapsed, she admitted, although humane and progressive outcomes in us, and this is a particularly still held in place by her on­ southern Africa? unwelcome reality in light of our going subscription to SAR. She had own strong conviction that there steady employment now, she said, We ask you because we've had is still much work to be done on and wanted to help in some kind to ask ourselves this question a southern African issues, work that of sustained, and sustaining, way. number of times in recent months. can make some contribution to the Could she send us a set of post-dated Where is the energy to come from struggle of people there truly to cheques, $60 a month, and for the to sustain us in the challenging liberate themselves. Solidarity with foreseeable future? Yes, please, and work of keeping a magazine of people in that region remains of thank you. this quality afloat: beating the fundamental importance, we feel, bushes for articles of high standard and there's even the thought around So, not to put too fine a and finding the endless volunteer here that such solidarity may well point upon it, we return to the hours - we have no paid staff be more meaningful now than ever. question with which we began: how - that go into editing, printing After all, within the context of important is SARto you? We trust and pasting, servicing newsstands increased "globalization," mutual it's important enough for many of and subscribers, keeping the books? recognition - North and South - you that you, too, will feel moved And where, of at least equal of our shared vulnerability in the to, as it were, cheque it out: "Dare importance, is the money to come face of a rootless and uncontrolled to struggle, dare to sign." 2 november 1997 Southern Africa REPORT -----------~@~~ill ~~~~©~ ill@~----------- Besieged in Mafeking The ANC Congress BY T OM LODGE gains is in official statistics and, in at the Congress. The ANC has any event, they are regionally con­ held a series of workshops and semi­ Tom Lodge is Professor and Chair of centrated. nars on a range of issues, generating the department of Political Science at a succession of "discussion papers," the University of the Witwatersrand. The GEAR More visible is the fact that the and encouraging various notables to stake out positions in speeches and South Africa's best prospects for assembly is being held against an statements. For example, the cur­ democracy probably depend as historical backdrop that includes the government's adoption of the rent National Executive will proba­ much on the ANC's internal vitality bly support a set of constitutional as on any of the carefully scripted Growth Economic and Redistribu­ revisions that call for a longer term clauses of its hundred page liberal tion programme (GEAR). This pro­ gramme, to many people, implies a for executive members and seek to constitution. So, for African democ­ strengthen leadership authority by racy watchers, the ANC's 50th na­ prioritization of growth before redis­ prohibiting ANC members from con­ tional conference in Mafeking in tribution, and is seen to include a testing public office and internal or­ mid-December should prove to be a suspect mix of tariff reductions, pub­ ganizational elections without offi­ compelling spectacle. Certainly, the li c expenditure cut-backs to reduce cial sponsorship.