Debate on Class, State and Imperialism

In 1976, at the University of Dar es Salaam, there opened an important debate on class, state and imperialism. The debate first centered around Issa Shivji’s Class Struggles in Tanzania, and D. Wadada Nabudere’s critique of the work in his article, “Imperialism, State, Class and Race.” Other publications forming the basis of the debate were Mahmood Mamdani’s book, “Politics and Class Formation in Uganda”, and D. Wadada Nabudere’s, “Political Economy of Imperialism”.
Because of the importance of the issues raised and the necessity for absolute clarity proposed by both supporters and opponents of the main critique of Issa Shivji’s book, the debate extended into other areas and brought forth contributions from other comrades not initially involved.
In the Marxist-Leninist tradition the exchanges were sharp and uninhibited by bourgeois politeness or hypocritical applauses. The articles in this volume brought together by Yash Tandon, as they were originally presented, capture the excitement and vigour of that debate which, as will be obvious, was not only important to Marxists in Tanzania but also to Marxists elsewhere in Africa and outside in their study of imperialism and their struggle against it.

About the author
A. M. Babu, well known Tanzanian Marxist intellectual, author of African Socialism or Socialist Africa, and former Minister in the Tanzania government, has written a valuable introduction to the understanding of the Debate.