[Cincinatus' Wife]

Communists rising in Pretoria? Said to be manipulating ruling ANC from behind scenes*** Since 1994, South Africa has moved away from the West and embraced Libya, Cuba, China, Iraq, the PLO and other anti-Western regimes. ………"To the face of the international community, they fly the flag of so-called 'democracy' to attract foreign investment, tourism, NEPAD dollars and politically-correct sympathy," Snow said. "But when Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan come to South Africa and meet with the Marxists here, do you think they are only having a cup of tea? They are formulating their international strategy."

Last week, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said that there is a possibility that the SACP will take over the ANC "from within," and that the "working class must dominate ANC policy." "The African nationalism of the ANC has always been revolutionary, but it doesn't mean you don't find backwards elements," Nzimande said. He also believes that a coming crisis in the capitalist West will provide an opportunity to further the communist cause.

"A new type of global robber baron is emerging - look at what has been happening with all these companies in the United States," Nzimande told the South African media. "For us [the SACP] this is not a deviation - it's inherent in the system," he said. "The relevance of communist parties worldwide is that they represent an alternative society, an alternative to capitalism. When the Soviet Union collapsed there was a neo-liberal triumphalism that said: it's the end of history, there is one route for countries to develop. But poverty is widening. At our congress we are going to reflect on how we link up with this mass creative expression of anti-capitalist sentiment."***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Playing Politics with Hunger in Zimbabwe [Full Text] *** The drama of hunger in southern Africa is proceeding along its inexorable course. In Zimbabwe alone, five million people face food shortages. And this is despite the fact that Zimbabwe, leaving aside oil-rich Libya, is probably the richest country in Africa.

The excellent infrastructure inherited by Robert Mugabe when he took over Zimbabwe in 1980 would have been adequate to overcome the current shortages. But at this point the policies he is pursuing can only be described as paranoid, while holding on to power seems to be his sole concern. His regime has now issued an ultimatum ordering all white farmers to vacate their property. The goal is not the implementation of equitable land reform, but the wanton destruction of property belonging to whites.

Africa's richest country has been destroyed by the irrational behavior of the president and the inadequate international response. This judgment applies, however, not only to the wealthy north, but also to Zimbabwe's neighbors in Africa itself. Not five weeks have passed since the founding of the African Union, which announced to great fanfare the goal of finally leading the continent to better times. Yet none of the AU members have acted to put a stop to Mugabe's disastrous policies. And thus has the sin of an individual redounded to the shame of many and the detriment of all. ***