Johnathan Paoli
Former liberation movements from Southern Africa recently convened in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe for the 11th meeting of secretary generals and wings of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLM) to discuss critical issues affecting them, including fighting neo-colonialism and tackling Western interference.
The movements, which played pivotal roles in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid, include the ANC from South Africa, Swapo from Namibia, Frelimo from Mozambique, BDP from Botswana, MPLA from Angola, Chama Cha Mapinduzi from Tanzania and ZANU PF from Zimbabwe.
This gathering marked the first physical meeting after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the focus of the meeting discussions was on neo-colonialism and the handover of leadership from ZANU PF in Zimbabwe and to ANC in South Africa.
Speaking at the meeting, ZANU PF secretary general and former chairman of the liberation platform, Osbert Mpofu, said it was no secret that the movements were under siege from detractors who wished to sow seeds of division. but that the solidarity and revolutionary bonds that tied all sister parties together should be unbreakable.
“We are the parties that were instrumental in ending the subjugation of our people by the imperialists and bringing independence to our countries. It was a collective effort and we should always act as a collective,” Mpofu said.
The last LMF conference was held in 2019 in Victoria Falls where resolutions were made on ideological importation, establishment of a permanent secretariat of the liberation movements, continuing the anti-sanctions lobby, the need to subdue the scourge of Afrophobia and the outright fight against neo-imperialism.
The conference started yesterday with a moment of silence in memory of the late Namibian President Hage Geingob, who died last month.
Mpofu said former liberation movements would forge ahead with finishing the work of realising the dreams of Pan-Africanism, as espoused by the continent’s icons such as Kwame Nkrumah and using the ideology set forth by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, one of the pioneer African nationalists.
ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, said revolutionary parties need to be firm and stand for what is right.
SWAPO Secretary General Sophia Shaningwa said it is time to groom the younger generation on how they can defend the independence that Africa enjoys today.
“They should take over the responsibility so that when we retire we will be confident that our countries are safe,” she said.
On the transfer of the chairmanship of the platform, the ANC said that it was grateful of ZANU PF’s steering of the FLM ship during the trying times of the COVID pandemic.
“As the ANC we undertook to further enhance the institutional capacity of the FLM platform as resolved in the meeting, as we take over the chairmanship of this very important revolutionary platform,” ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the various national party-political schools such as the OR Tambo Political School, would continue to play a crucial role to imbue leaders with the skills requisite to advance and defend the revolution, with the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School remaining as the apex political school for all party members to the FLM.
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