Teach-in denounces privatization in Africa

"The World Bank has brought havoc to Africa," Mzonke Mayekiso, president of the National Association of Residents and Civics Organizations (NARCO), said during a speech Sunday, denouncing the International Monetary Fund.

Roughly 20 students and adults gathered in the basement of Murray Dodge for two hours to discuss globalization, the World Bank and IMF with Mayekiso and Sarah Mtembu, treasurer of NARCO. Members of Students for Progressive Education and Action (SPEAC), the International Center and Another World is Possible hosted the teach-in to educate the Princeton community about of IMF's impact on people in Third World countries.

Mayekiso and Mtembu spoke out against privatization and what they termed the IMF's disregard for the welfare of the South African people.

After opening his speech with a brief history of apartheid in South Africa and a description of present-day conditions, Mayekiso criticized the privatization of utilities such as water, electricity and education. He said the policy allows big western companies to buy important resources, keeping the majority of South African citizens poor.

"So now they introduced another system of the card. You go to [the electricity company] and buy a card. Let's say you buy a card for [a certain amount of electricity].... once you finish that [the electricity] just went down for your home."

He added that big companies are willing to hire immigrants working for less than minimum wage — leading to a high unemployment rate.

Mayekiso also blamed the IMF for creating class division among youth by privatizing education. As a result, only rich families can afford a decent education while poor families have to struggle with underqualified teachers.

Mayekiso highlighted the policies that he said were created by economists who did not understand the needs of the average South African. He said the IMF had drawn up plans for the privatization in Washington D.C, without consulting the South African people.

"What is happening to South Africans, our country, is a colonialization of a special type," he said.

The other speaker, Mtembu, focused her speech on ways in which students could stand up against the IMF — encouraging them to have secret meetings and plan boycotts against all things that might oppress the people's will.

"Don't trust anyone," she said. She told the audience to "be strong, tough" and join the fight against the oppression of the IMF and U.S. government.

The meeting ended with a question and answer session, during which the audience broadened the discussion from South Africa's problems to globalization.

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Mayekiso ended the teach-in by telling the audience, "you have the power, you can make a difference if you stand up."

Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky '04, Chairman of the Princeton Committee Against Terrorism, argued in defense of privatization.

"[Privatization] defines the power of the people in society," he said in an interview.

In the long run, he said, countries cannot prosper through state-owned industries and need privatization to function in an international free market economy. He noted that the protesters had "noble" intentions, but that their plans were flawed.

"If they want to help [the poor]," Ramos-Mrosovsky said, "they should work for the World Bank instead."

In contrast, Vincent Lloyd '03, who helped organize the teach-in, said that opposition to the IMF and World Bank is a "non-controversial issue." He referred to international financial institutions as "trumping local governments and the wills of people around the world."

The teach-in was the first major campus event focusing on the IMF since Sept. 11 and the first of many to focus on international financial institutions and corporate domination over third world countries.

Sunday's event was prompted by the annual meetings between the IMF and World Bank from September 28 to October 4 in Washington D.C. The IMF is an international institution, comprising 184 member nations whose goal is to promote economic growth through "international monetary cooperation [and] exchange stability," as stated on the IMF home page. The World Bank works in conjunction with the IMF to provide loans to client countries and both organizations aim to eradicate poverty throughout the world.