17th World Festival of Youth and Students
The 17th World Festival of Youth and Students was
held at the Pretoria Show Grounds, South Africa, during the week beginning 13
December. Red Youth, the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain
(Marxist Leninist) (CPGB-ML) was represented by Comrades Paul Cannon and Ranjeet Brar. As the responsibility for organising the Youth and Student delegation of Britain was in the hands of the YCL, the youth wing of the CPB, every attempt was made by
the latter to stop Red Youth from being represented at this important
international gathering.
Whether for reasons of sectarianism or sheer
incompetence – possibly both – the YCL simply refused, with one exception, to
communicate with Red Youth. Faced with these uncomradely, not to say
reactionary, tactics Red Youth took the decision to send a delegation all the
same.
On the evening of the first day of the Festival,
the South African President, Jacob Zuma, addressed the delegates and his
address was prominently featured in the South African media.
On arriving at the venue of the Festival, the Red
Youth delegates discovered that “there were in fact no other delegates from
the UK, from which we infer that the CPB ‘youth’ delegation simply imploded,
and they took the decision to stop communicating with us to try and stop us
from having a monopoly on the delegation. There was a ‘UK’ stand which we were able to occupy and distribute much of our propaganda.”
On the same day, the Red Youth comrades entered the
main meeting hall occupied by 400 delegates discussing the Land Redistribution
Program in Zimbabwe. Paul recognised Cde Anastasia Ndluvu of ZANU-PF, whom he
met in Venezuela with Katt at the 16th WFYS. Cde Ndluvu has since become an MP
in Zimbabwe and was leading a 500 strong delegation of the ZANU-PF Youth League
to the Festival.
Cde Anastasia Ndluvu invited Cde Paul to address
the meeting and he did so following some negative and critical remarks from a
number of members of SACP in the audience. Paul was able to deliver a message
of solidarity from the CPGB-ML on behalf of the progressive working people of
Britain, that was greeted with rapturous applause, and ended with spontaneous
cheering, dancing and singing of the song “mishiwi wam” (translation:
bring me my machine gun!) Following this Paul and Ranjeet were interviewed by
Zim TV.
During his speech Paul made the following remarks:
“Thank you comrades, I bring greetings to the
Festival and to Zanu (PF) from Britain as a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist – Leninist). I can assure the meeting that we continue our
solidarity work through our Party and the Zimbabwe Solidarity Front in Britain, and we stand with you still.
“Comrades, Britain’s role in Zimbabwe has been thoroughly disgraceful, stretching right back to the days of Cecil Rhodes
and the Victorian colonisers of the 19th century. When these thieves took the
land from the Zimbabwean people they didn’t take just any old land, no, they
took the very best land, the most fertile land in Zimbabwe! [Applause and
loud agreement!]
“And comrades, there is a myth being perpetrated
by the imperialists, indeed it is much worse than a myth for it is a giant lie;
the lie which these thieves are spreading is that the economic problems Zimbabwe has suffered have been as a result of the mismanagement of the land! But we
know that the economic problems that Zimbabwe has suffered have been the direct
result of imperialism! [loud and stormy applause and cheering]
“To stand in solidarity with Zimbabwe and ZANU is not an easy task in Britain, but we will continue to stand on the side of
justice, on the side of Zimbabwe, on the side of ZANU. [Applause] The
work you are doing is helping us in our struggle back home against our common
enemy, the British ruling class. The conditions of the British workers
deteriorate day by day, and we are aided in our struggle by movements such as
yours which reign down blows upon the British ruling class which exploits us
both. Comrades, we thank you for helping us in our task by kicking British
imperialism out of your country once and for all! [Stormy applause]
“I would like to end with our common slogans:
Down with imperialism! Viva Chimurenga! Viva Comrade Mugabe! Viva Zanu!”
While in South Africa, in addition to extensive
conversations with the ZANU-PF youth leader, the Red Youth delegation held
bilateral meetings on matters of mutual interest with the representatives of
youth organisations from the DPRK (Kim Il Sung Youth League); Sweden
(Revolutionary Communist Youth – RKU – youth wing of the Communist Party of
Sweden); Latvia (Socialist Party of Latvia); Belgium (COMAC, youth section of
the PTB); Syria (youth wing of the Communist Party of Syria, as well as the
Socialist Party of Syria); Spain (Collective of Young Communists – CJC – youth
wing of the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain – PCPE); Greece (Communist
Youth of Greece – KNE – youth wing of the KKE); Turkey (youth section of the
Turkish Communist Party – TKP); Denmark (youth wing of the Communist Party of
Denmark); and India (youth delegation from the CPI(M)).
The Red Youth delegation’s interview with the
leader of ZANU-PF Youth League can be seen on YouTube – ProletarianCPGML’s
Channel, listed as Zimbabwe Speaks 1.m4v.
A more detailed report of the
Festival will appear in the February/March issue of Proletarian, the
organ of the CPGB-ML.