Zimbabwe-the

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Carver is the man that British Foreign Secretary David Owen wants to install as the military dictator of Zimbabwe.

His role is to oversee the imposition of a neo-colonialist constitution and the disarmament of the black freedom fighters.

Last week Carver flew off to Africa to try to get himself accepted in this role.

keports of mis entorts could hardly be more contradictory. According to his own version, the trip was a glittering diplomatic success and everyone was on the point of agreement.

According to racist leader lan Smith, no progress whatsoever was made.

According to the black nationalist leaders they do not acknowledge Carver's right to intervene.

And according to US diplomats Carver's trip was one long diplomatic bungle!

Carver' 's wanderings seem to be a bit of a sideshow since in other ways the imperialists efforts to impose their plan are goung ahead It SpasEE: = at the secret 2 am meeting of Smith and Zambian President Kaunda organised in Lusaka in September by international capitalist "Tiny" Rowland.

(Rowland is the boss of Lonrho which has major investments on both sides of the Zambesi).

It appears that what was discussed at this meeting was an alternative to the Owen or "safe" nationalist leaders in which some alliance would take over the government in Zimbabwe without the intervening stage of Carver's military dictatorship -which is supposed to convene elections.

Robert Mugabe's ZANU has seen the Lusaka talks as a plan to exclude ZANU from the final settlement, which would install Nkomo (of ZAPU), perhaps in an alliance with the "internal" leaders Muzorewa and Sithole.

Mugabe has even accused Nkomo of having attended the talks. Despite denials from both Nkomo and Kaunda, the suspicion is Strong that Nkomo was at least associated with the meeting.

Split

Carver open split in the Patriotic Front in which ZANU and ZAPU have been involved since last year.

The failure of Carver's mission was swiftly followed by the dropping of the British plan to hold a new Rhodesia Conference in Malta this week.

Owen and the Americans are very fearful of losing the initiative as arbiters southern Africa even though at present that initiative may be seized instead by a reactionary alliance of Smith, the "front line states" and sections of the black Zimbabwean leadership.

Either way the democratic rights of the Zimbabwean workers and peasants will be suppressed in the interests of nony No resolution of the United Nations has ever adyanced the struggl e of the workers and the oppressed classes of the world. •The "mandatory arms embargo" on South Africa will be no exception.

The ban doesn't cover existing contracts. In any case, it will be easy to evade.

South Africa already has its own armaments industry (established of course with the help of the imperialis: countries).

Hie Cundes 0I 3000* sargo materials like oil have already been stockpiled.

The South African defence minister claims, probably without much exageration, that the country is about to start exporting arms.

But the ban, for which even the US mperialists voted, is not designed to have any effect os Soute Airica.

lis puzose 5:0 on a imperialist governments give some appearance oi fighting racism while in fac:

• cher l backing for Sout: Atticar capitalist Even resolutions only slightly 'tougher' in tone submitted by African states were unhesitatingly vetoed by the imperialists.

No sanctions against South Africa can achieve anything unless they are imposed by the labour movement itselfnot in the form of occasional token "weeks of action" so dear to trade union bureaucrats but in the form of all-out indefinite embargoes on supplies of arms and all other trade with the racist regime.

Nonchalant

Until that happens the South African regime will continue to look nonchalantly at UN sanctions and continue its present murderous policies.

Certainly it was no weakening of Vorster's repressive intentions that prompted the announcement that the existing pass laws would be abolished.

The existing passes are to be replaced by travel doct ments issued by the 'indep endent" Bantustans.

This is no... concession. Urban blacks will find themselves under as much surveillance as ever.

But it is a move to rer.force Vorster's apartbeis pla= which attempis 1: 255-: :SE: I3e 32: ETATE: TE:

**T AC ARE EE 5:2 Bantustan gorettee:

Tre cen ::::* last math: 2250 :: =

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cost of living.

Brittan's objective is very clearly stated: not the maintenance of the living standards of workers but how to keep wage increases to a minimum.

He criticizes the coalition government; pay because he argues, it will lead to a faster rate of increase than there would be without it. 1977