PLP Forging Ahead in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, January 7 — Recently, a group of CHALLENGE readers met here for a discussion about our Party and its ideas. First the group examined Obama’s war in Libya. When he was elected, many people in East Africa had mistakenly believed that his policies would help Africa rather than initiate invasions and assassinations of African leaders. However, this U.S.-backed invasion exposed the “First U.S. African President” as pursuing the same oil-driven imperialist foreign policy as George Bush. In the discussion, Party members debunked the lie of “humanitarian intervention” (i.e., protecting civilian lives) as nothing but a cover for U.S. imperialism. 

Next the group confronted the challenges of building the communist movement in Tanzania where widespread anger at the government’s corrupt collusion with foreign and local big business exists side-by-side with a culture of passivity and resignation. The Tanzanian public sector trade unions, for example, are big on talk but short on action, leaving government workers defenseless against layoffs and oppressive working conditions.

Spirit of Rebellion Growing

The opposition party, Chadema, is as corrupt as the ruling party, CCM (Party of the Revolution). Chadema is opportunistically trying to take advantage of widespread discontent — especially among unemployed youth — to gain power for itself. The Tanzanian comrades agreed that despite Chadema’s motives, its militant condemnation of CCM is inspiring workers to have the courage to speak out and fight back. PL’ers pointed out that this spirit of rebellion will be squandered unless it is organized and led by communists.

A comrade from U.S. explained how the liberalism trap works in the U.S. where the Democrats are trying to co-opt the Occupy movement in order to help Obama’s election campaign and keep its supporters focused on reform rather than revolution. In Tanzania, as everywhere else in the world, the electoral system is used to control the working class rather than serve its needs. History has shown that only communists will lead an uncompromising fight on behalf of the working class.

Plenty of Graduates — But No Jobs

Destroying capitalism and replacing it with communism seemed like a far-away dream to some of our comrades in Tanzania until the discussion moved to the deep crisis facing global capitalism, which is opening up opportunities for our movement internationally. For example, In Tanzania, secondary schools and universities are cranking out tens of thousands of graduates with credentials and high expectations for a better life but with almost no chance of employment. These youth are a natural base for the international communist movement we’re building.

Another example is the 40 people in Dar es Salaam who died needlessly from flooding just before Christmas. Last fall, CCM used helicopters to win people to vote for them in the elections, but they couldn’t produce one helicopter to save the lives of stranded people.

PL’s line of “one international working class, one party” is a winner because it helps us learn and gain strength from struggles in other countries, like Pakistan, where the class struggle is more advanced. CHALLENGE readers in Tanzania need to take heart. Things don’t stay the same, and the subterranean fire produced by capitalism’s wars, poverty and inequality is burning in cities and villages worldwide.