the problem of unity

THE PROBLEM OF UNITY BY

I.B.TABATA,

President of t h t Unity Movement of South Africa.

The slogan: United we stand, divided we f a l l , has been used for

generations. Africa i s using that slogan now. The question i s : why are they net uniting? I t sounds so simple. Let a l l the African States come together and t h e y ' l l be able to face Europe and the U.S. as a block. But when we gat beyond the wards and examine the living phenomenon, we begin to understand that

i t i s n ' t so simple as it sounds.

F i r s t , t o unite the African States would mean to cripple the power af imperialism. For i t i s imperialism that keeps then divided and it does sa through its economic grip on each one of them. For imperialism t h i s l a

e s s e n t i a l beoause unity can serve only one purpose - unity against imperialism.

The States of Africa have no other way of achieving that unity.

I b e l i e v e that a continental government i s p o s s i b l e only on the basis e f the United S o c i a l i s t S t a t e s of Africa, and t h i s i s , i p s o f a c t o , against

imperialism- I t means a declaration of war against imperialism. In the

process of uniting they have to f i g h t imperialism. This applies equally ta the African States and ta the l i b e r a t i o n movements.

When it is said that the movements m u s t come together, the f i r s t question t o ask i s : an what b a s i s m u s t they come together? Even on the question of the States giving a s s i s t a n c e to the movements, in my opinion i t i s wrong to say they w i l l give a s s i s t a n c e to the various movements i n a oeuntry without knowing what these movements r e a l l y stand f o r . Imperialism i t s e l f makes ne such

mistake. I t thrives en dividing the movements, not only within each BK oountry but a l s o In the various countries. Besides t h i s , i t t h r i v e s on supporting

J u s t those movements which lead the country towards themselves; i n other words, those movements t h a t espouse t h e i r own p o l i c i e s .

This i s something that the Afrioan States themselves have to learn.

When they deoide to support a movement they have to ask themselves t o what end are they doing so? And when you ask for unity you have to ask: Unity for what?

For the agents of imperialism support s p e c i f i c movements that they consider w i l l avert what they c a l l a catastrophe. Imperialism doesn't ask hew big

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t h i s movement i s - I t ia oamoerned with one question only: that i s the

programme of t h i s movement? Whether i t i s big or a a a l l , i f movement has xxx auch 4 p o l l o y AS w i l l save tho intoreata of capitalism i n that p a r t i c u l a r

oountry, tho agents of imperialism w i l l support i t , and build i t up from nothing i f neoeasary.

Now, t o imagine i t i s p o s s i b l e to unite a l l movements t o f i g h t

i B p e r i a l i s a i s to presuppose that you have already crippled i t , slnoe I t s strength l i e s i n being able to divide the novomenta. In a word, l e t us think

• e r e deeply on t h i s whole question of unity* Let us ask who should unite?

And for what? We must understand,tee, t h a t d i f f e r e n t foroes operate i n d i f f e r e n t oeuntries* Let ao explain i t t h i s way* In ay own oountry,Jouth Africa, we created a Unity MeTeaent i n the e a r l y f o r t i e s i n order t o unite a l l seotions of the oppressed f o r a protracted struggle* We f e l t that our read would not bo that of India or of Ghana, or the read of a l l the African States whioh negotiated t h e i r se-oallod independence- We f e l t that our read would be that of Algeria, and for the saae reason that Algeria had to take the read of araed struggle* I t would be impossible t o n e g o t i a t e freedom i n South Africa.

Then, having made t h i s assessment of the r e l a t i o n of f o r o e s , the next step was to decide how we were to gather the population together i n order t o put i t i n a p o s i t i o n to oarry out s t i I r l i B » r l x j l a ^ ^ ' Per i t did concern the whole population* . 'Now i n a oonplex s o c i e t y l i k e South Africa, ne one party, no natter how strong i t i s , osn oarry the whole of that aooiety. I used to hoar people

say: Why can't you people unite l i k e Malawi, for example? Ww* The emergence of a Messiah i s a sure sign that a oountry i s l e s s developed i n d u s t r i a l l y and

i t s s o o i e t y therefore l e s s oeaplex* In a complex sooiety l i k e South Africa there are very aany organisations representing d i f f e r e n t s t r a t a of the s o o i e t y and the^pHblen i s to bring these organisations together under one leadership*

The struggle oannet be carried i n any ether way*

But there are these who aewTawr think our preblesi i s that o f removing

Verwoerd, of f i g h t i n g a g a i n s t Apartheid* There i s ne dembt that in that struggle people find quite a number of a l l i e s ready to a s s i s t and encourage them*

Why? B r i t i s h imperialism r e a l i s e s that Verwoerd i s Jeopardising not only t h e i r own i n t e r e s t s i n South Afrioa but a l s o the whole i m p e r i a l i s t plan of n e e - o e l o n l a l i s a i t s m r i s v i s - a - v i s the continent of Africa* Thus i f you are f i g h t i n g s i a p l y t o get rid of Verwoerd, you w i l l JK'pTlnty of support-

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However, t h e r e a r t • t h a n , who, l i k e oursolvo?, do not see xX£ s t r u , l e aa a a t r u g f l e a g a i n s t Verwoerd. We oonaider him t o be the boaa-bey of i m p e r i a l - ism and what i a the p o i n t of f i g h t i n g a boaa-boy? You hare t o fi^fat a tx

beaa-boy t o g e t h e r with h i s boss and . e t r i d of the whole l o t cf then* In o t h e r words, our a t r j g ^ l e i a a g a i n s t imperialism* The boas-boy simply guards the

p r o p e r t y of B r i t i a h and U.S. imperialisoi.

Onoe s o r e . t h e n , when we t a l k of u n i t y , we have t o ask: unity on what b a s i s ? We have t o be agreed on the aims of u n i t y . Then only i s u n i t y p o a a i b l e . Hew when we want t o p u l l a wagon we d o n ' t inapan horses,goats,mmi donke£a and exen xmxwxwmx a l l facing in d i f f e r e n t d i r e c t i o n s . No m a t t e r hew s t r o n g l y they a l l p u l l , the wagon w i l l remain i n the aame place* They muat a l l be faoing i n the same d i r e c t i o n before t h e i r u n i t y becomes e f f e c t i v e .