South Africa - November 18th, 2017

On the military coup in Zimbabwe

On Wed 15th Nov 2017 the Zimbabwe military launched a coup against the leadership of Mugabe. This takes place against a background of an attempt by imperialism to use greater force, fascistic methods and militarism on a global scale, to maintain its control over the masses. The traditional leaders have lost their hold over the masses.

In Zimbabwe, the ruling party had split and faced with the prospect of the masses and the soldiers rising against the Mugabe regime, imperialism decided to assist the military to take over. They hoped and still hope that the military will remain in control and prevent the masses from taking power into their own hands. The aim of imperialism is to maintain the regime while changing leadership. With the powerstructure intact, imperialism hopes to keep the masses in total starvation, as they have done, for years up to now.

There are some parallels with the coup in Egypt when General Sisi deposed elected leader, Morsi. The Generals played on the inability of the democratic regime to meet the needs of the masses. They posed as the friends of the masses. Gradually they cemented their control, declared a state of emergency and brutally suppressed the masses, thousands were imprisoned and many killed. Once they had consolidated their grip they lifted the charges against the deposed dictator, Mubarak and rolled back many of the gains of the Tahrir square uprising.

These same generals who claim they are standing for the people, are under the same leadership, such as Mnangawa, who brutally suppressed the Ndebele masses when they demanded land in 1982-3. Tens of thousands were killed. Mnangagwa and Mugabe were partners in defending the bourgeois terms of the Lancaster House agreement, which kept imperialism in control. Mugabe only gave token land redistribution to war veterans and rich peasantry associated with them while leaving the commanding heights, the mines, prime land and banks in the hands of imperialism.

On Saturday 18thNov 2017, the military is keeping the masses away from marching on State House. They are protecting the organs that have been used to control the masses.

No to the military coup; we call for rank and file soldiers to set up their own committees and to break with the generals; support the masses.
No political support for Mugabe
We call for the establishment of workers and soldiers committees; for rural workers committees; for separate committees of the poor peasants;
Nationalise the land
Expropriate all the assets of imperialism, without compensation, place these under workers’ control
For the immediate disbanding of the parliament and in its place the setting up of a revolutionary Constituent Assembly, with one delegate per 10 000 of the masses, subject to instant recall and that no delegate gets more than the average wage of a skilled worker.
Prepare for a general strike against the coup and for working class power
Away with the entire capitalist regime
For the setting up of new revolutionary working class parties throughout Africa.
We salute the bold stance by Numsa in support of the Zimbabwe masses. We call for the mobilisation for a general strike in SA and the rest of Southern Africa, against the coup and in support of workers’ power in Zimbabwe.let us break the isolation of the Zimbabwe masses
Forward to a Federation of Socialist workers’ states of Southern Africa. All military bases of imperialism, out of Botswana and the rest of Africa.
For solidarity protests by the masses in the imperialist centres, in support of workers’ power in Zimbabwe and against the coup.

18.11.2017
Workers International Vanguard League - workersinternational@gmail.com
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