The Sunday Mail
Lovemore Ranga Mataire
Spurred by its good showing in South Africa’s recent municipal elections, the Democratic Alliance has threatened to replace the ruling African National Congress as the governing party by 2029. This should jolt former liberation movements in Southern Africa to review strategic measures that have thus far sustained their survival as ruling parties. In Zimbabwe, the racist Rhodesia Front systematically disbanded itself when the Zanu-PF Government abolished parliamentary seats reserved for whites. It is, however, a different ball game in South Africa where whites have not made any regeneration pretences. The manner in which South Africa got its freedom did not solidify the liberation ethos.
The worming back of white rule gives a lot of homework to liberation movements in a world of white supremacist forces keen on getting back power. The challenge goes beyond fulfilling constitutional and democratic ideals to devising tangible ways of existing in a world hostile to their ethos. Not so long ago, former South African President Thabo Mbeki issued a portentous warning on the state of Africa’s economic affairs, decades after dislodging colonialism.
In August 1998, just before taking over the reins from Nelson Mandela, Cde Mbeki challenged African politicians to go beyond the liberation mantra and deliver on their promises.
He said, “An ill wind has blown me across the face of Africa. I have seen the poverty of Orlando East and the wealth of Morningside in Johannesburg. In Lusaka, Zambia, I have seen the poor of Kanyama Township and prosperous residents of Kabulonga. I have seen the slums of Sirulere in Lagos, Nigeria and the opulence of Victoria Island. I have seen the poor in Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe and the quite wealthy of Borrowdale.”
Cde Mbeki’s characterisation of these disparities was a conscious realisation of the need for fair redistribution of economic resources to the masses who bore the brunt of the armed struggle.
More than anything else, liberation movements need to address economic disparities and implement affirmative action to bring marginalised communities into the mainstream.
It is these marginalised communities that form a vulnerable reservoir of the reactionary politics peddled by the DA and MDC-T.
It is this realisation of the myriad of complex problems besetting post-colonial Africa and the need to revisit the principles and values that coalesced nations to fight colonialism that has bonded liberation movements in a pact that reminds them of unfulfilled struggle promises.
At a meeting in Victoria Falls four months ago, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo, warned former liberation movements to guard against complacency.
The movements resolved to co-operate more closely on strategic implementation of joint programmes and proactively intervene where regime change threats arose.
That meeting brought together Zanu-PF, the ANC, Frelimo (Mozambique), MPLA (Angola), Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania) and Swapo (Namibia).
“The important aspect of our meeting here is practicability of our recommendations, the implementation and evaluation mechanisms we shall propose to our principals,” said Dr Chombo. “I hope this time around our forum will be more practical because the Western orchestrated regime change agenda is not sparing anyone of us. Therefore, there is an urgent need to give special attention to our common challenges.”
Most Western governments are wary of former liberation movements. The West knows of their indefatigable defence of independence and sovereignty, and how they have remained impervious to machinations to access natural resources by hook and crook.
So what should be done to halt the disturbing developments unfolding in South Africa where apartheid has given a comeback notice?
In the words of Paul Shipale, the challenge liberation movements face is reinventing themselves into vanguard progressive centre left-mass parties that provide informed analysis of a strategic transformational ground, and ensure we don’t play into the hands of those who want to implement regime change in Africa through intellectualised exclusive oligopolistic cartelised elite parties.
Reinvention is crucial to keep the memory, essence and values of the liberation struggle alive, especially for a generation that clearly lacks emotional attachment to it.
It is not enough to meet and reminisce on a glorious past and issue statements.
Is it not Chinweizu Ibekwe, the Nigerian critic and writer, who contends we must discuss, debate and criticise everything — including ourselves – to minimise error through harvesting our collective wisdom? Is it not true that truth is but a distillation of error and the only way to establish it is through thorough evaluation?
Former liberation movements must be cognisant of economic independence before constructing a Pan-African identity derived from shared goals and common social historical experiences.
Just as it was a rallying point in the liberation of Africa, Pan-Africanism must continue to be the major adhesive gluing together these movements.
The challenge facing liberation movements is not just to safeguard the ideals of the liberation struggle, but through them to build an African confident of himself, existing as an equal in the comity of nations.
Another challenge is that whilst they were able to craft among people an anti-ethnic common identity during the struggle, the post-colonial period has seen people asserting new identity interests.
There is, therefore, need to develop a shared sense of identity that recognises multiple claims without destablising the essence of unity.
Liberation movements must build fortresses strong enough to deal with Afro-pessimists who stress the enormity of the problems that divide us rather than those things that unite us.
Safety nets must be put in place to monitor reactionary forces.
It is also key for the movements to synergise their economies, including having a single currency.
Our basic frame of reference should always be our unique African heritage anchored on the ideals of Pan-Africanism. One of the issues that most former liberation movements have failed to master is speaking together at international fora and as a result, the African voice always comes out fragmented and easy to ignore.
Lack of unity has made it easy for neo-colonial agents to entrench themselves in our political systems.
