Socialism, Capitalism and African Politics PIA 2574

Focus on Tanzania Independence for Tanganyika

Socialism- One View

Socialism in Africa At Issue: new look at development strategy? the role that ideology has played in effecting performance of state (Anti-Socialism a self-ascribed ideology)

Non-socialist Ideologies

The Socialist Framework Dependency as an alternative form of analysis to Modernization Socialist Assumptions (Redistribution, autarky and collective ownership) Influence of socialist ideas since 1965 in Africa

The first assumption is that it is the duty of the community to insure its individual members against individual misfortune. The second is that, just as the carrying capacity of a bridge is measured by the strength of its weakest support, so the quality of a society should be measured by the quality of life of its weakest members

Tanzania’s Ujamaa Policy President Julius Nyerere Arusha Declaration: 1967: Socialist Declaration- Control Commanding Heights Collectivism and Self-Reliance An approach to agricultural class formation

Tanzania Socialism

Arusha Declaration Celebration 1971 (Photo taken by L .A. Picard)

Tanzania in the 1960s-Voluntary Collective Farms Goal: create villages from small family households Self-sustaining economic units of 20-30 families (Integrated Rural Development) Primary target- the subsistence farmer 1968- official policy but voluntary Issue: Forced Settlements

Villagization- Up to 5000 people

1970s Goal: Prevention of a rural proletariat 1970- Few villages established Government Spending only on “ujamaa villages” Popular Response- poorest areas of the country marginal farming/pastoral areas

Targets the wealthier areas and the rich farmers “Kulaks” After 1973 Targets the wealthier areas and the rich farmers “Kulaks”

Russian Kulaks

1975 Forced Collectivization and Collapse of Policy “Villages” of more than 5,000 people- no services

Problems with Ujamaa Tanzaphilia- “Socialism and the Field Administrator” Shift from voluntary to compulsory: “Burning Houses” Shift from goal of local level decision-making and village autonomy to centralized decision-making and standardized policies

“What is Tanzaphilia. It is neither a disease nor an exotic flower “What is Tanzaphilia? It is neither a disease nor an exotic flower. It is a political romantic spell: the kind experienced by Western Marxists” Ali Mazrui

Problems: Collectivization Forced, use of state violence Villages became very large: 3000-5000 people or more (Resembled State Farms) Target: Universal villagization by the end of 1976 Resistance from Wealthy Farmers Result: Food Shortages

Zimbabwe Supermarket c. 2004

Government Reaction Withdrawal from World System Drought, Agricultural Mismanagement Agricultural Collapse 1983- Tanzania Moves Towards Policy Reform Membership in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Group (HIPC)

HIPIC Africa

SAPS- Increase Capital Flows and Exports, decrease health and education. Food costs increase.

Regime Types in Africa (Crawford Young) 1. African (Socialist) and mixed Economy regimes: pragmatism or African capitalism (Kenya and Senegal in 1960s, South Africa after 1994) 2. Socialist- Populist (Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique in 1970s)

African Regimes 3. Afro-Marxist or Leninist Vanguard regimes (Angola, Benin 1980s) 4. Marxist-Leninist- (Ethiopia under Dergue) 5.Post-Structural Adjustment Regimes Mozambique, Uganda and Ghana (1990s)

Lenin in Addis, 1992 REDEUX

Attractiveness of an ideology Impact of Policy on development in the 1980s Will effect rule making and resource allocation Ideology does make a difference

Attractiveness of an ideology There is little internal slack or decision-making authority A choice that can be made (in terms of dependency) that can be made internally Thus Socialist Policies could be tested Result: Some social development, economic decline

Evaluation criteria- Socialism (1965-1985)

Growth Growth is still important- though socialism downplayed mineral induced growth and tourism Entrepreneurialism and cost benefit analysis downplayed Focus is on peasant based subsistence agriculture rather than export commercial agriculture

Subsistence Agriculture Gender Roles Issue

Result Import Substitution, Economic decline, inflation and decline of food production

Import Substitution Products in Oman

Equity or distribution: Effects Effect of taxation- especially indirect tax mechanisms (extractive) Pricing policies deflate income for agricultural commodities Relocation of rural resources to urban areas Wage control policies (no strike clauses)

Debates about Urban Bias

Autonomy and self-reliance- Delinkage from the international economy (Autarky) Increased debt burden, continued use of expatriate personnel as planners (often sympathetic) Exploitation of natural resources and foreign exchange outflow

Autarky?

Exploitation of Human Rights Goal- human dignity Reality of repression- movement of peoples Economic and political refugees Increased size of security forces

Human Security Issues: HOW DOES ONE DEFINE IT? DISUSSION

Development capacity: Goals and Results Ability to plan and manage state resources and stimulate economic behavior change Expansion of the social capacity of the state The African disaster- Tyrants, corruption and Skimmed public resources? The Context of the Cold War.

AFRICAN CAPITALISTS Jeanne Kirkpatrick, former Reagan U.N. Ambassador She is said to have stated, Mobutu “may be a Son of a Bitch but he is our Son of a Bitch”

RADI-Aid SOCIALISM- LINKED TO FOREIGN AID? Africa for Norway

DISCUSSION OF READINGS NADINE GORDIMER, ”WHERE DO WHITES FIT IN?” AND “TOWN AND COUNTRY LOVERS” RICHARD RIVE, “NO ROOM IN SOLIDTAIRE” AND “STRIKE” PATRICK KEATELY, “POLITICS OF PARTNERSHIP” BERGNER, “IN THE LAND OF MAGIC SOLDIERS”

Why has it Failed? Or Has it? Socialism Why has it Failed? Or Has it?