The social crisis, together with the Gael/Labour coalition Government. This direct repression at home and co-operation Ine rine ael Labour majority in Ine in southern Africa It is clear that massive social struggles, *Even Mr. Vorster in South Africa would now clearly prefer a black Rhodesian Government to the conflict which threatens.' This is the opinion of the Financial Times (24 February), and must be shared by almost the whole international capitalist class today.
Their panic over southern Africa (demonstrated by the massive selling of South African shares by the Union Bank one or me tree largest banks in Switzerland) derives not only from a fear of the dire consequences of an intensified struggle in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and Namibia (South West Africa), but also from a feeling of impotence at being unable to intervene directly to protect their vast interests Onlv the British bourgeoisie is today capable of intervening in Zimbabwe, and that in aumted sense. tne suraren which Wilson has proposed is to return Knodesia to us tormer colonia status. establish a black neo-colonial regime, and prepare the grounds for an intervention by United Nations troops (?) to police the transitional period.
Such policing will aim to isolate and attempt to smash the militant nationalist movement led by the cimpadwe African National Union (ZANU) and the newly formed Zimbabwe Military High Command - described in the bourgeois press as terrorists and extremists. It was to investigate the possibility of such a strategy that Lord Greenhill (an old hand at negotiating possible deals with Smith) was despatched to Zimbabw last week to meet Smith, 'a group of businessmen representing agriculture mining, commerce and industry', and Joshua Nkomo, the reformist leader of the African National Council (ANC Nkomo has for a long time repre sented the interests of the black Africar petty bourgeoisie - - those with aspirations towards being tomorrow's bourgeoisie in Zimbabwe. As such he has received almost universal support from the international bourgeoisie as the black leader they are least unwilling to see as the future president. He has made plenty of assurances in the past to the various imperialist sectors that their interests would be secure in his hands. and in return has received gratifying publicity in the capitalist press together with some hard core material support orner man one or me israest mulanat ionals operating in Africa - Lonhro, whi which has not insignificant investments in Zimbabwe, including the Coronation Syndicate (copper and gold), David Whitehead Sons (Rhod.) Ltd (textiles) motor, property, and other mining interests. This corporation, famed for its support for other right-wing African nationalist movements like UNITA (National Union for the Total Independ ence of Angola), has also expressed worries inat the cosure orine conne oil-pipeline from Beira (Mozambique) to Rhodesia was costing the company £500,000 a year in maintenance with no return while Rhodesian sanctions