Latest news with #LiberationMovementSummit
The Citizen
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Liberation movements fighting for survival and new injustices
Southern Africa's liberation movements gathered in Kempton Park this weekend for a summit to discuss the state of their parties. Political bodies that helped create an independent region celebrated their shared accomplishments this weekend, all while brainstorming ideas on how to spark a fire in the next generation. Leaders from across southern Africa gathered at the Radisson Convention Centre in Kempton Park for the Liberation Movements Summit 2025 from Friday. The meeting will conclude on Monday, after which the delegations will share the insights they have gathered. 'A homecoming' Hosted by the ANC, other liberation parties included Zimbabwe's Zanu-PF, Mozambique's Frelimo, Namibia's Swapo, Angola's MPLA and Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi. A delegation from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was also present, as were representatives of the Palestinian people. ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the dignitaries for their roles in anti-apartheid and anti-colonialist struggles, but said the new fight was for social and economic justice. 'The Liberation Movement Summit is more than a conference; it is what one would call a homecoming. 'It is a convocation of liberation movements rooted in shared histories of struggle bound by a tradition of resistance and united in a future that demands memory, imagination, boldness and bravery,' said Ramaphosa. 'Must remain emboldened' Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said there were still external forces that were working to 'fragment' the goals of liberation. 'The infrastructure that denied us democracy and independence has mutated and expresses itself in numerous forms. 'These include, through the interference of internal affairs of our parties and governments, sabotage of our economies and, at worst, covert support of conflict and war in our jurisdictions,' said the Zanu-PF leader. He said the liberation movement must be 'robust' in pursuing its goal and not allow itself to fade away. 'We must remain emboldened by our rich liberation history, which is our greatest teacher. The millions of people who look to liberation movements with hope for a better tomorrow should be a source of inspiration for us,' said Mnangagwa Chinese collaboration Sunday's session concluded with former President Thabo Mbeki receiving a large portrait of himself, after the regional dignitaries had delivered their addresses. Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano chastised the gathering for losing focus, while SWAPO leader Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called corruption a 'cancer' that would 'bury' the parties and their objectives if not dealt with. Other key delegates included Frelimo President Daniel Chapo, MPLA Deputy President Mara Quiosa and former Tanzanian Prime Minister Mzengo Pinda. Also speaking on Sunday was China's minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Liu Jianchao, who outlined China's growing collaboration with the African region. 'One accomplishes oneself by helping others succeed. China strives to support Africa and our fellow developing countries. In the face of rising protectionism, China has continued to open further and share development opportunities with the rest of the world.' 'China's modernisation proves that modernisation does not equal westernisation,' concluded Jianchao. NOW READ: Does Africa still need liberation parties?
IOL News
a day ago
- Business
- IOL News
Mnangagwa outlines Zimbabwe's path to becoming an economic powerhouse at the Liberation Movement Summit
President of Zimbabwe and leader of Zanu-PF, Emmerson Mnangagwa addresses the Liberation Movement Summit in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni on Sunday. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has laid out a sweeping economic transformation strategy aimed at empowering the country's youth, boosting rural economies, and positioning Zimbabwe as a driver of African innovation and self-reliance. Speaking at the Liberation Movement Summit in South Africa on Sunday, Mnangagwa emphasised that Zimbabwe's development would be people-centered, inclusive, and anchored in Pan-African solidarity. 'In our case, ZANU-PF has adopted strategies to empower the youth,' Mnangagwa declared. 'We are not only issuing mining claims but also providing equipment so they can actively participate in the mining value chain.' He revealed plans to drill boreholes in each of Zimbabwe's 35,000 villages.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Mokonyane slams West for ‘terrorist' labels on African Liberation Movements
Nomvula Mokonyane condemns Western efforts to brand African liberation movements as terrorists, urging unity among former liberation parties to fight neo-colonialism and deepen socio-economic transformation across the continent. ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a blistering political broadside against Western powers, accusing them of a longstanding agenda to brand African liberation movements as terrorist organisations — an effort she said has failed dismally. Speaking on day three of the Liberation Movement Summit in Ekurhuleni, attended by legacy liberation parties including South Africa's ANC, Mozambique's FRELIMO, Namibia's SWAPO, Angola's MPLA, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF, and Tanzania's CCM, Mokonyane praised the enduring solidarity among African liberation parties and condemned the West's efforts to delegitimise their struggles. 'They tried to brand us as terrorists, but failed,' Mokonyane declared. We were not terrorists — we were the vanguard of justice, fighting to dismantle the last bastions of colonialism on this planet, said Mokonyane. The Summit, hosted under the banner of deepening cooperation between former liberation movements, aims to adopt a joint declaration reaffirming their ideological unity and commitment to eradicating the socio-economic residue of colonialism and apartheid.
Mail & Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
PAC's Jaki Seroke: Sobukwe would have supported the GNU
Former president of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. The spirit of goodness in the heart of the former president of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, continues to manifest nearly 50 years after his death. According to Jaki Seroke, secretary of the PAC, there was no doubt that if Sobukwe were watching, he would be proud about the relationship his party has forged with the ANC and would be 'urging the PAC to push on until total liberation is attained so that in the end, Azania benefits from fruits of collaboration in the government of national unity [GNU]'. The spirit of restoration between the two parties continues to manifest itself through the invitation the ANC has extended to the PAC to form part of the Liberation Movement Summit taking place in Johannesburg from 25 to 28 July. The letter of invitation, signed and delivered by ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula to his counterpart, Apa Pooe, is a sign of the fraternal embrace the former liberation movements display to each other. Part of the letter, among other pleasantries displayed, read as follows: 'We are delighted to formally notify you of the forthcoming Liberation Movement Summit which will be convened by the African National Congress in its capacity as the chair of the Liberation Movement. This is an esteemed summit … with the participation of all six Liberation Movement parties, under the distinguished leadership of His Excellency Mr Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa as the chair of the summit.' The parties referred to include Zanu-PF of Zimbabwe; Frelimo of Mozambique; the MPLA of Angola; Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, a political party that spearheaded the liberation movements in both Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. The PAC, despite holding only one seat in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa gave it a cabinet position above other bigger parties, with its president, Mzwanele Nyhontso, serving as the minister of land reform and rural development. That possibly explains why the PAC chose, without any strings attached, to work and support the ANC in the unity government. Seroke expressed disappointment in the behaviour of the Democratic Alliance in the GNU, saying he wished the DA could do better. Rather than being obstructive and turning to the courts, matters could be dealt with through dialogue and constructive engagement. 'The DA in particular is misbehaving in public with their dog whistle politics aimed at polarising rather than uniting South African people. 'The ANC has lost the zeitgeist they had in 1994. It is seemingly easy to attack their leaders. 'It will take a great effort and time to get the internal politics right. That is why the splits of EFF [Economic Freedom Fighters], MKP [uMkhonto weSizwe party], the South African Communist Party and we, as the PAC, see this as opportunistic and harmful to the agenda of unity. 'Nation building cannot go smoothly when its enemies are embedded and ready to sabotage the GNU,' said Seroke. Seroke said that Sobukwe would have sought 'a meeting of minds' between the two liberation movements to thrash out differences. This, he said, was despite the differences that caused the separation of 1958, which triggered the formation of the PAC in 1959 to chart its own liberation path in the 'midst and whirlwind' of apartheid violence against the oppressed people in this country. The Africanist members of the ANC walked out over what they regarded as insufficiently radical policies to bring about liberation. Seroke said the fact that Sobukwe, with his other Africanists comrades, split with the ANC in the 1950s, should not, in 2025, with new thinking and spirit of cooperation emerging, hinder the PAC from supporting the ANC in projects such as the GNU. He warned against a destructive strategy that ignores new political realities of cooperation and constitutional democracy. Seroke said: 'Coalitions wear many different apparels but the essence is the same. Social forces from a range of political perspectives gather on a common cause, at times even to repel a threat that aims at delivering a scorched earth outcome.' He said now was the time for all South Africans, whatever their political stripes, to strive to help build a better South Africa, and to hold hands towards that end. 'We must try to shy away from political parties that are mostly grouped around cult personalities or driven by a strongman mentality with no discernible principle, but keen on politics of brinkmanship.' Seroke said that in keeping with the spirit of Sobukwe, 'we must be willing to work towards a common agenda, recognising that if we do not, the politics of throwing stones at each other and destroying goodwill will not take us far'. He said despite the breakup in 1958, 'the PAC and the ANC have always had a symbiotic relationship that goes as far back as 1943, when the ANC Youth League was formed to propagate the ideals of African nationalism as a guiding philosophy'. Seroke said the PAC is committed to working and supporting the ANC in the GNU. 'Our aim is not to score political points as we identify mistakes, and reversals of the African revolution gains.' He said the relationship between the PAC and ANC should be mutually beneficial, 'which is to say that when the ANC grows, the PAC should not be stunted'. Seroke said the PAC was willing to work with South Africans from all walks of life and from all political perspectives. 'The time of throwing around our toys, and seeking to wish away other people, is gone. We must, as the PAC, reach out to all South Africans. 'Sobukwe was a man of God, a man of prayer, a visionary who understood there is only one race, and that race is a human race. 'The ANC and PAC will work to ensure that the GNU succeeds, contributing to reshaping our society for the better, and it is unfortunate that organisations and those who are taking potshots at the GNU may be failing to read the signs of the time.' Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela is an independent journalist, a social justice activist, a former trade unionist, and an Anglican priest.
