Thé election results in Zimbabwe in early March were a stunning victory for the liberation forces. Despite the manoeuvres and intALL HAVE A RIGHT C VO in the new parliament (20 out of 100) and continued control over key areas of power such as the C While ZANU has won a major victory, however, it still has a long way to go to satisfy the aspirations of its mass base in the towns and in the bush. The liberation struggle was not only for Black majority rule but for land redistribution, the right to a job and decent living standards for everyone.
Such gains cannot be won without coming to grips with the economic power structure still concentrated in the hands of the white 3% of the population (and their Imperialist backers). Until the land and industries are taken over - and run in the interests of the mass of peoplethe liberation struggle in Zimbabwe will remain uncompleted.
What stands in the way of such moves is clearly the Rhodesian security forces - backed up by the South African military machine on the borders - who are now watching the Mugabe government with an eagle's eye.
This almost certainly explains why Mugabe, even after winning a decisive electoral victory, has gone out of his way to assure the white minority that radical policies will not be introduced. Promising that private industry will remain untouched, he has included 2 white representatives in his cabinet and appointed General Walls as overall commander of the integrated He has also met with the South African Foreign Minister to reassure his neighbours that the government will offer no aid or sanctuary for anti-apartheid liberation fighters wishing to form bases in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe's ultra-cautious moves -playing dowr. ZANU's radical election programme - are clearly motivated by this fear of a white back-lash backed up by the armed might of the South African war machine. The 3% white minority may have lost the election, but they haven't stopped holding the Black majority to ransom yet.
Jenny Dodd (CAIL Sec)
Anwar Ditta was born in Birmingham and brought up in Rochdale. She went to Pakistan as a child where she grew up and had three children. In 1975 together with her husband, she returned to Rochdale - leaving her children with a grand-parent until they found work and a job.
When they sent for their children - some time later they were refused entry on the grounds that they could not prove that they were, in fact, the parents.
EVIDENCE The fact that Anwar has clear documentarv evidence -birth certificates, medical records and photos - to show that these are her children cuts no ice with the Home Office The reason is clear, Anwar's children are Black. While white immigrants are free to enter the country, the Tory government is prepared to use every trick in the book - even tearing families apart - to keep BRING DITTA'S FIGHT RACIST IMMIGRATION LAWS LET MY Brothersalist iN Black people out of Britain CAMPAIGN Anwar's heartless treatment, however, has spurred a growing campaion against the Hom Office decision. On February the Ist, CAIL helped organised a picket of the Home Office to hand in a mass petition protesting the situation. On March 1st, several hundred people coming from as far afield as Leeds and Liverpool - marched through Rochdale calling on Raisin to let Anwar's children Further actions are planned, included a major demonstration in Manchester on April 26th and a protest outside the Appeal Court in Manchester on April 28th when Anwar's case comes up again.* ISOLATED Anwar's case is not, of course, unique. She is just one victim of the racist 1971 Immigration Act. Now that Whitelaw's proposals toughening the Act still further have been passed thousands more innoceni victims will be created.
Fighting for Anwar's children to be allowed in the country is an immediate priority of anti-racists. righting to repeal the 1971 Act is also central if thou sands more Black people are not to suffer under its racist curbs * For further information contact: Anwar Ditta Defence Cttee (Rochdale 39832)