24.05.2007

Waiting for the messiah

Mike Sambo of the International Socialist Organisation reports from Harare

With the rate of inflation now at an incredible 3,723%, the situation has become impossible for the ordinary Zimbabwean. There is virtually no electricity, water, sugar or other basic supplies.

There are outbreaks of cholera and diarrhoea in most townships, as many ordinary people resort to drinking untreated water from streams. This follows the government and reserve bank governor Gideon Gono resorting to their former neoliberal capitalist policies, which for some time they had shelved to try and secure their political survival. Water and electricity are now in private hands. Not only is water in short supply, but residents now have to think twice before they open a tap - bills for water are now a massive extra burden for the suffering masses. It is this that has led people to use untreated water as the only alternative.

Since last month, Harare has been in total darkness in the evening - there is no electricity from about 6pm to 10pm. Zimbabwe?s only (privatised) power provider has imposed cuts in all high-density areas and there is no alternative power supply. Paraffin was last available at filling stations three years ago and gas is very expensive and not commonly used in the townships.

One cannot easily explain the real situation in a country where people have to perform miracles just to survive. Out of a salary of, say, $500,000 a month, one is expected to pay on average $100,000 for rent and $400,000 on transport - so for most workers there is nothing left for basic requirements like food.

These are the devastating effects of the twin enemies of the poor - neoliberal economic policies and the Mugabe dictatorship itself, against which western imperialists have imposed so-called ?targeted economic sanctions?. These purport to hit only Mugabe and his government cronies, but in reality hardly affect them. Instead they have caused untold suffering to ordinary Zimbabweans, while their intended targets continue to live in luxury.

In a way, despite his rhetoric, Mugabe has increased imperialist domination and control over Zimbabwe?s domestic politics - a situation that has led millions into despair over the apparent impossibility of rising up against the current dictatorship. Now everyone you meet on the street is waiting for the messiah to liberate Zimbabwe, in the shape of Thabo Mbeki or George Bush.

The main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, together with all other political groups, has seemingly run out of ideas. Unable to mobilise the masses, they can only put their the trust in the South African or US president to come and solve the country?s crisis. Failing that, the opposition is vainly hoping that the next elections will bring Mugabe?s defeat, even though history has proved that we cannot win under the current constitutional framework.

Mugabe has once again begun to close all democratic political space, as he squares up for the 2008 elections. His secret police are harassing all prominent opposition activists, whilst the tame media has resumed its hysteria against them. Political rallies are still banned in Harare - a situation which makes it extremely difficult for the opposition to mobilise.

Mugabe is very certain he is going to win next year?s elections - an outcome he will portray as a victory against imperialism and against illegal sanctions. He has already stepped up his anti-imperialist rhetoric, while at the same time he is fast-tracking his second economic structural adjustment programme (Esap 2) at imperialism?s behest.

The Zimbabwe crisis will not be solved either by outside intervention or in parliament, as the opposition thinks. Only mass action will force change. We revolutionaries are small in number, but in the end we will conquer.