Anti-WTO action in Tanzania

Subject: IMF/WB Heads "Listening" in Tanzania

Subject:         (50 Years) IMF/WB notion of meeting civil society: Tanzanian
reflections
   Date:         Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:46:42 -0500
   From:         soren@igc.org
     To:         <stop-wb-imf@50years.org>

Reflections from Prof. Marjorie Mbilinyi, a member of the Tanzania Gender
Networking Programme, after attending what was billed as a meeting between
Tanzanian civil society and the heads of the IMF and World Bank in Dar es Salaam
last week ...

"WE HAVE COME TO LISTEN"

The heads of the World Bank and IMF reportedly came to Africa "to listen."  Aha,
listen to whom?

A peaceful demonstration was organised by local activist NGOs at the meeting
site of the heads of the IMF and the World Bank and the presidents of ten
Eastern and Southern African countries on Friday, February 23, 2001.  The
activists were moved to hold a demonstration because of the exclusion of civil
society organisations in the talks, and the desire to express their views in as
public a manner as possible. Their main focus was on the need for total debt
cancellation and a different approach to development. [see earlier press release
at www/tgnp.co.tz] Some of the placards read:  "Why do IMF and World Bank rob
the poor to pay the rich?" "end debt slavery"  "Charges for education and health
can only be paid by James Wolfensohn and Horst Kohler" "We want total debt
cancellation"

The police used force to stop the demonstration. Three activists were arrested
on the spot, including a staff member of Tanzania Gender Networking Programme
(TGNP), Daudi Kweba, and two leaders of the National Youth Forum (Gwandumi
Mwakatobe and Lito Kabwe), and bundled into police cars. A journalist from a
major daily newspaper, Mtanzania, Jackton Manyerere, was severely beaten by
police when he tried to pick up some of the fallen placards. The chairperson of
TGNP, Demere Kitunga, was beaten at Central Police Station when she arrived to
bail out the others, and later arrested, along with three other members of TGNP.
A total of seven activists were held and interrogated for six hours, and only
released at nightfall after the intervention of five top human rights lawyers.

On Saturday, February 24, 2001, the heads of IMF and the World Bank held a
briefing session with the press, the private sector, donors and civil society
organisations, under the chair of the President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa. The
way in which this meeting was organised illustrated the illusory nature of
democracy within the International Financial Institutions, and the dependent
governments they support, especially in the light of the previous day's police
repression. First of all, the meeting was by invitation only, with many
organisations excluded. The Presidents of IMF, the World Bank and Tanzania each
spoke briefly. [The general consensus among activists was that there was nothing
new!] Questions were restricted to the press. The meeting was cut short after
about 30 minutes of questions and answer, just as activist NGOs were about to
raise questions. Hence, we were duped into attending a glorified press
conference as mere passive spectators, along with ambassadors from donor
countries, United Nations development agencies, representatives of 'the private
sector' as well as activist NGOs.

The explanation for the change in timetable? The visitors had to be rushed to
Ngorongoro Crater Area by air where they would hold discussions with Ministry of
Finance officials! [Ngorongoro Crater Area is a good example of the growth of
tourist/wildlife industry at the expense of the rights and welfare of local
communities.] However, before their departure, there was enough time for a
cocktail party, with ample alcoholic beverages and scrumptious bites for a
select few to meet informally with the visiting imperial Heads of IMF and World
Bank, their local representatives and top government officials.

During the meeting, one sympathetic member of the press asked the IFI heads
whether they enjoyed the arrest and brutal handling of the demonstrators on the
previous day.  The head of World Bank cynically replied that given his
experiences elsewhere, "yesterday was a holiday". So much for commitment to
"broadbased consultative processes"!  On the other hand, President Mkapa replied
that the police had erred, that the protesters were serving the interests of the
country, and concluded, "I assure you that they have a right to express an
opinion." Whether this was merely a public relations gesture will reveal itself
later. So far, those arrested are out on bail, but remain charged with illegal
assembly.

The whole exercise calls into question the meaning of participation and
consultation from the perspectives of the IFIs and their client governments. It
reinforces doubts about prospects of reform from within these institutions, and
the urgent need to build a broad social movement for change. The arrogance
portrayed today by leaders of institutions and nations is symptomatic of the gap
between them and the people they rule.

Prof. Marjorie Mbilinyi, Member, TGNP, 24.2.01

Prof. Marjorie J Mbilinyi
P O Box 35185
University of Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

tel 255 22- 2410075 or 2410500/8 ext. 2615
fax 255 22- 2410078
rfs@udsm.ac.tz


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