CENPA-036~07 |
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affair, and also her 1,000 million pounds invested in Portugal and the Portuguese colonies., We in Mozambique are therefore facing a formidable international capitalist force, v/hich opposes anything that leads to our national independence. FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND THE ARMED STRUGGLE IN MOZAMBIQUE The world does not need to be told of Portugal's backward cultural, economic and social development, her lack of a responsible democratic government. She has nothing to offer the colonies but the reflection of her backwardness at home. Annex I, an extract from a report by a Canadian observer team, illustrates the methods she uses in Mozambique to maintain her evil colonial system. Foreign capital, exploiting backward Portugal, has made its way into the Portuguese African colonies - a fact which sometimes causes concern to the Portuguese themselves who believe this is a "sell-out" policy of the colonies "to Anglo-American capital, making it a foreign colony under the Portuguese flag"! The Financial Times of 13 June. 1968 stated: "Foreign investors find favourable conditions for private enterprise, low level of taxation, abundant manpower for some light industries and wage levels considerably lower than in most European countries.'* In 1965? of the 122 foreign countries which were established in Portugal, 34 were British. One year later the trade deficit of Portugal reached a total of £138 million with a sound increase the year after. On the other hand, in .19679 she received a loan of £50 million from Britain,, In that same year foreign capital invested there totalled £27 million. All these investments allow Portugal to continue paying for her colonial war. The Cabora Bassa Project Meanwhile, foreign capital is pouring into Mozambique to build what will be the fourth largest dam in the world* It is estimated to cost between £110 Million and £125 million. The following groups applied for the contract: 1. Cabora Bassa Builders(Paris) - French, American, South African 2. Cabora Bassa Construction Consortium - Italian, British, South African 3* Zambezi Hydroelectric Consortium - Paris(Zamco) West German, French, Swedish, South African and Portuguese. The final contract was awarded to the ZAMCO Consortium, If those who support the fascist-colonialist regime of Portugal think that in doing so they are harming only Africans they are mistaken. For the conditions of the Portuguese people are also unbearable. On March 15t 1966, the weekly "AKTUEL" published an interview with a Swedish engineer, formerly employed by one of the 11 Swedish textile and clothing factories operating in Portugal. Mr*. Karisson said he left his job, because "I was ashamed of being Swedish" in a Swedish factory in Portugal v/here women enter the factory at the age of 16 with a wage of 3 shillings a day. At 18 they reached the maximum of 6 shillings. History has shown that imperialism as a system never looks after the welfare of the masses under its rule. Our welfare, therefore, cannot be guaranteed by those who exploit the Portuguese people and the people of the colonies. .What we want from the United Nations is not pious resolutions, but concrete action, that will accelerate the process to our independence. For this reason we have some proposals to make to the Committee. -5-
Object Description
Description
Title | CENPA-036~07 |
Filename | CENPA-036~07.tiff |
Full text | affair, and also her 1,000 million pounds invested in Portugal and the Portuguese colonies., We in Mozambique are therefore facing a formidable international capitalist force, v/hich opposes anything that leads to our national independence. FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND THE ARMED STRUGGLE IN MOZAMBIQUE The world does not need to be told of Portugal's backward cultural, economic and social development, her lack of a responsible democratic government. She has nothing to offer the colonies but the reflection of her backwardness at home. Annex I, an extract from a report by a Canadian observer team, illustrates the methods she uses in Mozambique to maintain her evil colonial system. Foreign capital, exploiting backward Portugal, has made its way into the Portuguese African colonies - a fact which sometimes causes concern to the Portuguese themselves who believe this is a "sell-out" policy of the colonies "to Anglo-American capital, making it a foreign colony under the Portuguese flag"! The Financial Times of 13 June. 1968 stated: "Foreign investors find favourable conditions for private enterprise, low level of taxation, abundant manpower for some light industries and wage levels considerably lower than in most European countries.'* In 1965? of the 122 foreign countries which were established in Portugal, 34 were British. One year later the trade deficit of Portugal reached a total of £138 million with a sound increase the year after. On the other hand, in .19679 she received a loan of £50 million from Britain,, In that same year foreign capital invested there totalled £27 million. All these investments allow Portugal to continue paying for her colonial war. The Cabora Bassa Project Meanwhile, foreign capital is pouring into Mozambique to build what will be the fourth largest dam in the world* It is estimated to cost between £110 Million and £125 million. The following groups applied for the contract: 1. Cabora Bassa Builders(Paris) - French, American, South African 2. Cabora Bassa Construction Consortium - Italian, British, South African 3* Zambezi Hydroelectric Consortium - Paris(Zamco) West German, French, Swedish, South African and Portuguese. The final contract was awarded to the ZAMCO Consortium, If those who support the fascist-colonialist regime of Portugal think that in doing so they are harming only Africans they are mistaken. For the conditions of the Portuguese people are also unbearable. On March 15t 1966, the weekly "AKTUEL" published an interview with a Swedish engineer, formerly employed by one of the 11 Swedish textile and clothing factories operating in Portugal. Mr*. Karisson said he left his job, because "I was ashamed of being Swedish" in a Swedish factory in Portugal v/here women enter the factory at the age of 16 with a wage of 3 shillings a day. At 18 they reached the maximum of 6 shillings. History has shown that imperialism as a system never looks after the welfare of the masses under its rule. Our welfare, therefore, cannot be guaranteed by those who exploit the Portuguese people and the people of the colonies. .What we want from the United Nations is not pious resolutions, but concrete action, that will accelerate the process to our independence. For this reason we have some proposals to make to the Committee. -5- |
Archival file | Volume5/CENPA-036~07.tiff |