The seminar continued on Sunday morning with a presentation by Mairan Power (UNISON International officer) and Mark Beacon (ACTSA) on Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Malawi. It is pretty awful and depressing what is going on in all these countries. They all experience to different degrees violent oppression by corrupt dictators whose lavish lifestyles is at odds with the immense suffering of their people. Why on earth should the President of Malawi decide to spend £8 million on a Presidential Jet plane when that money would pay for 8,000 nurses? Why does he then decide he needs to build a brand new massive airport as a home for his toy?
The trade unions in these countries are also under attack but they are potentially part of the solution. It is vital that in Britain we continue to support them in their struggle.
I think that also we should remember our own history not that long ago, when we were in similar stages of economic and political development. There was comparable corruption, extreme poverty and the bloody suppression of democracy.
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