Went to a program Sunday on Zimbabwe and the title was Pan-Africanism or imperialism. Here's the speech I wrote for my dad
We bring you greetings from the All-African People's Revolutionary Party.
We wisht to start by first thanking the December 12th movement for organizing this historic forum and being consistent strugglers for our People's liberation.
Our supreme strategist, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah spent his whole life working for the liberation of Africa and African people all over the world. He was a Pan-Africanist of the highest order. He made great contributions to the Pan-African struggle. Nkrumah told us that Pan-Africanism is the total liberation and unification of Africa under scientific socialism. To us of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, Pan-Africanism is an objective which all serious African (Black) Revolutionaries must work to achieve. We must understand that as an African people we will not be totally free or be able reach our full potential until Africa is free of exploitation and foreign domination. After all the years of relentless struggle against British colonialism, Kwame Nkrumah, during his speech at Ghana’s independence celebration said that Ghana's independence was meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation and unification of Africa. He went even further and said that he would be willing to surrender his presidency at any time for a union government. That was his vision.
To further that vision one of the first things that President Nkrumah did once Ghana won its independence was to set up training camps in Ghana for the different liberation movements throughout Africa. One of those young Revolutionaries who moved to Ghana was Robert Mugabe.
Nkrumah said "Africa needs a new type of citizen, a dedicated, honest, informed man [and woman]. A man [woman] who submerges self in service to the nation and mankind. A man [woman] who abhors greed and detests vanity. A new type of man [woman] whose humility is his [her] strength and whose integrity is his [her] greatness."
We find President Mugabe to be this new type of man and this is why he is so hated by imperialism. We have found him to be incorruptible by the forces who seek to keep us oppressed. We know, we as Africans will never be fully liberated unless all of Africa is liberated., regardless of who is in the White House. We are Africans, every African, regardless of where they are on the planet must come to struggle on behalf of mother Africa. This is why we support Mugabe and ZANU-PF, not out of any kind of sentimentality, but because President Mugabe is a genuine Revolutionary, a genuine struggler for Africans. He will be 85 in 2 weeks and continues to fight for the Zimbabwe masses and on behalf of Africa. The two are not separate, a victory for Zimbabwe brings us one step closer to Pan-Africanism. The struggle that is being waged in Zimbabwe by ZANU-PF is a struggle against neo-colonialism, imperialism and exploitation of the masses by the imperialist powers and those African puppets who are receiving crumbs that have fallen from the imperialist table. The struggle that is being played out in Zimbabwe, is not just about Zimbabwe--it is a link in the chain of struggle against slavery, against colonialism, neo-colonialism, capitalism and imperialism. This struggle will show clearly the forces that are for genuine independence and the forces that seek only to collaborate with imperialism.
Imperialism has declared war against Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean masses because they dare to struggle for genuine independence. Let us not be mistaken. The sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is a declaration of war. These sanctions have deprived the country of food, medicine, and badly needed financial assistance. Imperialism tries to confuse the issue by misstating the facts. They will tell you that the sanction is against ZANU-PF leadership and not the People. But, we are clear, ZANU represents the masses. To target ZANU-PF leadership with sanctions, is to impose sanctions on the masses of Zimbabweans.
We have already won some victories in this struggle, thanks to SADC, thanks to President MBeki, thanks to the military might of ZANU-PF. In the past, imperialism would just come and assassinate our leaders at will, but that is not the case anymore. We were divided and weak; we had no say in our own affairs. Now, we are better organized. Today when they come, we will give bullet for bullet. It becomes clearer everyday that Pan-Africanism is our only salvation.
Our history of contact with Europeans has been one of exploitation; from slavery and colonialism, to capitalism, imperialism and now neocolonialism. Suddenly, we are being asked to believe that these countries that have raped and plundered Africa for the past 600 years have Africa's best interests at heart. I don't know about you, but I certainly do not believe them. How can the same system that seeks to keep us exploited and oppressed come to serve our interests? The sanctions against Zimbabwe are in fact a maneuver of the neo-colonialists. The imperialists can no longer rule directly and instead they seek to rule through economic control. History has taught us that every people and every nation look out for their own interests. We, being no different, must look our for our own interests and be on the right side of history.
We are currently witnessing the fall of capitalism. Yes, it is crumbling under its own contradictions. Everyday we read about some type of pyramid scheme where the person at the top has stolen the money of those at the bottom. This is precisely how capitalism exploits the masses. Those who don't labor reap and plunder the resources of those who do labor. This system is bound to fail because it is an unjust system, it is an oppressive system and wherever there is oppression, there is resistance. This is a law of human nature. So our People are fighting an unjust system, even if it only on an unconscious level. Our duty as Revolutionaries is to raise the level of consciousness amongst our People from unconscious resistance to conscious organization. We must organize to change this exploitative system and bring about a system where those who labor enjoy the fruits of their labor. This, in essence, is class-warfare.
We wish to close with this; Africans, our people are scattered and suffering around the world. What we lack is organization. If you are not part of an organization that is working to alleviate the pain and suffering of our People, then you are clearly against your People. If you are not actively involved in bringing an end to imperialism, then by your inactivity you help to maintain a system that continues to oppress your People. If you love your People, then you must work for your People! We humbly suggest our organization, the All-African People's Revolutionary Party, as one of the many organizations that you could join to aid our People in this historic struggle. But, if you do not join our Party, then there is the New Black Panther Party, there is the Urban League, there is of course, the December 12th movement. Africans, let's get organized.
Organize, Organize, Organize
Ready for the Revolution!!
Forward to One, Unified, Socialist Africa!!
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