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The one-horse race that was the Zimbabwe re-elections has been and gone, and yes the winner was the only horse in the race: Robert Mugabe … no surprises there. We all know who won the actual elections, the question on everyone’s mind is why does the international community stand aside and watch whilst the Zimbabwean people have their human rights ignored and abused on a daily basis by the ZANU-PF regime.
The worst outcome from the elections is not that Robert Mugabe won but that Morgan Tsvangirai the leader of the opposition party has agreed to a coalition government with ZANU-PF. On the surface this could be a good thing but let’s not forget who is actually in power in Zimbabwe.
All those who lost their lives because of their support for the MDC over the years must be turning in their graves. All the families that have suffered as a result of their support for the MDC feel absolutely betrayed by Tsvangirai. Imagine it, half way through the Second World War, Churchill turns around and says: “You know what this Hitler guy is alright after all.” The scale is different but the concept is very much the same.
Hereford-based resistance supporter, Simbarashe Muzembe, said: “The ZANU-PF government should not be in power, end of. They lost the election, where is the democracy in all this?!
“Whilst Tsvangirai is dining with the devil what happens to the rest of the desperate people of Zimbabwe? Instead of joining hands with Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai should be fighting to bring the ZANU-PF to justice, otherwise it’s all been in vain. What happens at the next elections, is MDC going to run? Or is it gong to be another race between Robert Mugabe and himself. It’s a never ending cycle.”
This is not the first time Robert Mugabe has formed a coalition government: the first one resulted in Zimbabwe being in its current position, so why does Morgan Tsvangirai and his advisers think this one will work?
The fact is, Morgan Tsvangirai has defected to the ZANU-PF and is just going to be another one of Mugabe’s puppets on a string. The people of Zimbabwe want outright change. Having personally witnessed the wrath of the ZANU-PF government Muzembe says there is no way Zimbabwe is a safe place to live as long as the Robert Mugabe is in power, and come the next elections and it will be the same all over again.
So what next for Zimbabwe? “Well, first and foremost Robert Mugabe and his cronies need to be brought to justice, a new opposition party should be set up to stand against the ZANU-PF,” said Muzembe.
“As long they are in power Zimbabweans will never know any peace, justice or democracy and the fallen soldiers will never rest in peace,” he said.
Visit www.amnesty.org/en/region/zimbabwe for more information on the situation in Zimbabwe
As we go to press the government has announced the take over of Bradford & Bingley, only months after the nationalisation of Northern Rock.
On the continent banks are dropping like flies. Meanwhile, HBOS has been taken over by Lloyds TSB, Wachovia by Citigroup, Lehman Brothers have gone bust, whilst the US government bails out AIG and nationalises mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Capitalism is in crisis.
What about us?
Whilst governments around the world are handing out our tax money to these profit hungry bankers, the rest of us are struggling on, suffering the fallout of this financial crisis. As a result ordinary working class people here in Herefordshire and elsewhere are losing their jobs; W & J Scaffolding is the latest of many firms across the county who have announced redundancies.
Meanwhile the number of people at risk of losing their homes to repossession in the county has risen by a staggering 37%.
Energy bills are going through the roof and some sources are saying that inflation has risen by 11% this year. So where’s the free handouts for the rest of us who really need them?!
Capitalism—the enemy
Some commentators are saying these problems are down to a free market that has been allowed to get out of control. The solution, apparently, is regulation. But we think it’s the economy as a whole that’s the problem not just how it’s managed.
Capitalism is the dominant economic system that allows private businesses to operate for profit, not need, and determines what goods are produced and at what price. In times of health the profits roll in making the rich richer, whilst for the rest of us, well … nothing changes for us. But in times of crisis it will always be the working class that gets hit the hardest. Take this: Cash strapped HSBC have announced that they are sacking 1,100 workers worldwide, with half the cuts coming from back room staff in the UK (note: no pay cuts for the top bosses). And why? They only made $10.2 billion profit in six months this year! Poor them, maybe we should organise a whip-round.
Fighting back
With British Gas and other energy companies raising prices by as much as 35%, the government could’ve given free fuel to pensioners and people on benefits. But they probably couldn’t afford to after effectively giving one-time private bank Northern Rock £91 billion of taxpayers money!
They could’ve taken over all the small businesses that have gone under saving hundreds of thousands of jobs for ordinary people. But why bother when they could nationalise Bradford & Bingley, making sure that those filthy bankers earning obscene amounts from gambling our money stay safe in their cushy little jobs.
But we don’t expect the government to work on our behalf. As anarchists we know that if we want something doing we have to do it ourselves.
This means organising to stop the repossession of homes: if you’re expecting the bailiffs, get some legal advice, but more importantly, get friends and neighbours together to see them off.
If redundancies are being made, occupy your workplace and get rid of the boss; that should save a lot of money for a start!
And inflation shouldn’t be a problem with ‘Greek shopping’. Angry shoppers in Athens, faced with rising food costs, filled their trolleys before walking out of the supermarket without paying a penny.
But the only real way we can prevent this happening again is by revolution. Capitalism is the basis of all inequality and must be overthrown and replaced by a society that is organised according to human need not profit. It may sound like we’re away with the fairies, but really, what’s the alternative? Continually living through the booms and busts of an economy that will never benefit us? No thanks.
Revolution is the only hope we have of living in a free and equal society, something that capitalism cannot ever create.
Get credit and debt fact sheets from the Citizens Advice Bureaux website
On a wet dreary day back in September, 200 activists gathered in Ledbury to peacefully protest their opposition to Sequani Limited. In the week leading up to the protest West Mercia Police were in the local media desperately trying to contact the ‘organisers’ of the demonstration.
So who is Sequani Limited, and why were the police unable to speak to anyone associated with the protest?
Previously known as Toxicol Laboratories UK and Quintiles England, Sequani Limited has used the same site in Ledbury for over 20 years. The companies website claims that it is “helping to develop medicines of the future and improve health worldwide”. What is not immediately obvious from the glossy corporate website is that Sequani use animals to test various drugs, chemicals and medical devises. Among the animals that the laboratory uses are dogs, rabbits, mice, hamsters, rats and pigs. All these animals suffer a life of imprisonment, suffering and fear.
Unfortunately for these animals, years of misinformation have left many people thinking that testing on animals—vivisection—is the only way to progress medicine. The facts tell a different story. Tens of thousands of people suffered side effects from Thalidomide although it was deemed safe after being tested on animals. More recently the diabetes treatment Rezulin was withdrawn after it was found to cause liver failure in humans; it had also been tested on animals. These are only two of the many examples of drugs that were deemed safe for human consumption after animal testing only too find that they caused terrible side effects.
The alternative non-animal research methods, such as using human tissue or computer simulations, are available and are increasingly being used. The problem is that, under current laws, new drugs must be treated on animals before they are given licences.
Being opposed to vivisection does not mean you have to stop using treatments that were discovered through animal testing. There are many things in our society that came about through exploitation. This country, for example, earned vast sums of money from the slave trade. But we can’t change the past, all we can do is change the future.
So why were the cops looking for organisers of the protest? This comes down to the repression handed out to those involved in the campaign and in particular someone called Sean Kirtley. Sean had campaigned tirelessly against animal abuse and was running the Stop Sequani Animal Testing website when his house was raided in 2006. He was charged under the new repressive SOCPA legislation with ‘conspiracy to interfere with contractual relationships so as to harm animal research organisation’. In line with the continued erosion of civil liberties in this country Sean’s peaceful protesting was deemed illegal and he was jailed for four years—yes, four years!
So that is why the cops were unable to contact any organisers. The activists no longer have ‘leaders’ or ‘organisers’ for the police to prosecute. But the campaign continues.
On the day itself, the 200 activists battled through rain and over zealous policing to get their message across: ‘Every six seconds an animal dies’.
Herefordshire Council took time out of its busy schedule of making cuts left, right and centre in September to praise two county-based swimmers who gained medals at this year’s Paralympics.
Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis took gold and silver medals respectively at the Beijing games, with Kindred setting a new world record in the 100m breaststroke.
Councillor Adrian Blackshaw reeled off some fake words of congratulations for the obligatory press release that are too insincere to take seriously here. “… made Herefordshire proud … shows the county has some world class sporting facilities … blah blah blah …”
Hypocritical Blackshaw was one of the councillors present at the cabinet meeting in July that made the decision to close the LEA pool. What a cheek!
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sarah Carr has been doing a good job of hijacking the campaign against the pool closure for her own ends.
During the school holidays Carr lead a hopeless protest outside the empty pool; which itself is down a cul-de-sac well out of public view. But at least she got her photo in the paper!
Beneath all of this Heckler cynicism we believe that the people of Herefordshire can force the council to reopen the LEA pool, but a lot more action will need to be taken to do this.
Thousands of us need to get out on the streets and march like we did in February to oppose the school closures. Council meetings could be disrupted and picketed regularly. Cabinet members can be contacted; give them grief. But sitting back and letting wannabe politicians do it for us is a sure-fire way to losing every time.
