The Fading Fad, Pull and Power of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa

By Ndaba Sibanda

Seven political parties which engaged in the African nationalist movements against colonialism, and white-minority rule in Southern Africa formed a loose, regional, political and international body known as the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLMSA).

Empire-building and Its Heart-breaking Humiliations

In essence, these political parties which constitute the polit of the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa did not only fight against the injustices, follies and frolics of interventionism and settler empire-building, but also sought to resist, reverse and rout out the indignities of apartheid or discrimination, marginalization, the extraction of social and economic value from marginalized racial individualities and communities, who every so often, happened to be the dispossessed, divided, poor, powerless indigenous blacks. As far as the colonizers’ political equation was concerned the blacks were on the peripherals and on the slave ships. Their formula was to split, subjugate, regulate, accumulate and own everything and anyone.

Beacons of Hope and Freedom

The African nationalist movements were a furious fountain of hope, heroism, wisdom, dignity and pride in the eyes and minds of the downtrodden, majority masses of Southern Africa.

Exclusivity and Immunity

The white settlers introduced a system that had deliberate, deceitful and derogatory fundamentals and mechanisms of socioeconomic stratification, oppression and suppression, intimidation, exploitation, preying and pillaging. The colonized blacks were victims of a structure that promoted and proliferated simple and sickening social, economic and political inequalities, superiorities and superficialities. They felt short-changed, disrespected, degraded, disregarded and burdened; hence they took up arms and sought deliverance and dignity befitting of human decency and development, dreams and destinies, values and visions. The colonial scheme afforded one minority group world-wide alliances and networks, racial platforms, privileges, protections and advantages over black groups and individuals. It was a skewed, diseased, and racialized system that psychologically, emotionally, economically, culturally and communally disorientated, devastated and demoralized and preyed on the vanquished and ruled. It scrubbed and weighed on their wellbeing, wealth, being and future. Its blemishes and brutalities are still here and there.

Lingering Disparities and Deceits

On one hand, there was a group of commanding grabbers, heirs, well-heeled, prowling haunters, hirers and rulers; on the other, a cluster of the ruled, abused, disillusioned, dispossessed sufferers and the poor, powerless, helpless, painstaking peanut-paid laborers. If the white explorers and colonizers were masters of rewards and tokenism, then the colonized and governed blacks were the duped and dehumanized recipients of all shapes, sizes, classes and colors of remnants, racial symbolism, classism and chauvinism.

If indeed there is a historical inheritance or an intersection between colorism and racism, then by extension, there is a connection between racism and capitalism. Through procedures and machinations of accumulation and exploitation, they formed and forged entrepreneurial or industrial relations of severe disparities and deceptions among human groups that continue to burden, weaken, haunt and denigrate the historically disadvantaged communities and countries.

Management of Resources for All Is Key

Comparatively and candidly speaking, the historically disadvantaged communities and countries are still at various levels and stages of growth, realignment and reorientation. At the heart of that development are resources that could be rich, manageable ,various, visible or even invisible. All are vulnerable, diminishing, and sadly, seriously and undeniably depletable. To continue misusing, abusing and stealing them by virtue of greed, ineptitude and sleaze is tantamount to plundering and extinguishing the futures and treasures of several and innocent generations to come. Such an attitude of ineptitude and fraud is an altitude of foolery and failure. Talk of mad and merciless mass murderers, generational thieves and dreary and dreadful exterminators.

Sacrifices, Decisions and Choices

Nationalist histography reveals and chronicles armed struggles that were sacrificial, thorny, challenging in terms of political and military training of guerrilla soldiers and the sourcing and securing of military and logistical supplies from global allies and sympathizers. Bold and tough choices, strategic alliances and decisions were made by various liberation parties. Sacrifices were incurred. Eventually, the Portuguese-ruled territories of Angola and Mozambique attained their independence, and so did the settler-ruled Rhodesia, and apartheid South Africa. They “politically freed” themselves. Or did they?

Did Adequate Transformation and Adoption Happen?

By their very nature, political parties are multifaceted establishments that require vision, resources, personnel, programs and, principles, policies, procedures and funds to run. It is one thing to be a political party leader directing and fighting in the bushes, it is another to run a country with all its political and economic temperatures, temptations, dynamics, demands and resources. An unfit soul in the highest office of the land becomes a suicidal, calamitous and costly gamble no nation can afford. Citizens suffer.

Leadership is desirable from basic duties like following the constitution of party, developing policies and procedures, conducting research and intelligence work, to paying salaries, managing the head office and regional offices, to holding leaders accountable, to holding meetings and congresses, connecting and communicating with citizens, to crafting manifestoes and conducting electoral campaigns. Were these liberation movements organizationally equipped and ready to effectively and efficiently assume the normal duties and roles of a civilian administration? Did they truly transform or they remained combatant? Did they not take things for granted? Are the current leaders of these parities principled or visionary?

When Beacons of Hope Become Betrayers and Brutalizers

Unfortunately, a number of the same liberation movement parties have vied off from their principles and trajectories and are busy writing their histories and obituaries. There seems to be that "fading and fooling movement". Are we not witnessing it? Could this be an illusion? Are people not furious? Do they have a vision for their communities and countries? Hasn't it been long enough?

Loss of Hope and Humanity

Well, maybe we shouldn't be surprised or shocked. They visited this bane upon themselves when they lost empathy. Not only that. When they lost their humanity, ideals, marbles and themselves! Save for their elitism and cronyism.

Ideological Somersaults and Surprises

In politics, some analysts believe there is nothing like a permanent enemy. So, does it stand to reason that high-level political prostitution, opportunism and flip-flopping should be tolerated and accepted by the victims and observers of such treachery? They still belong to a loose regional political international body of seven parties which fought fearlessly against colonialism and racism. For instance, from the 1960s to the 1990s, the Frontline States sought to uproot apartheid and white-minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia. Founded on 8 January 1912, one of them is the oldest liberation movement in Africa. Is it not swimming in ideologically and diametrically unfamiliar pools these days? Who is it in bed with?

Running Out of Fashion and Patience

Their allure is fading fast, the born-frees and the disillusioned and long-suffering citizens are fed up with a series of deterioration, deceits, deviations. They seek to sing liberation songs that add value to their lives. How good are liberation credentials if they do not bring about better opportunities, employment or food on the table or if they do not liberate the poor from poverty and hunger? How good is a liberator if they are corrupt and cruel? Their liberation credentials are getting dustier and rustier by the day because they are failing to meet the needs of the day.

Of Rings, Rigging and Reaping

Saddening and nauseating, some parties have become the terribly rude, ruining and rigging parties for other Southern African ruling liberation movement parties. They are guilty of corruption, bungling, terror and atrocities. They are out of touch with the plight of the ordinary citizens. They are untouchable and a law unto themselves. A number of the leaders of these political parties and their officials have become empty-promising and lying empire-builders and greedy grabbers of everything and anything. They have convoluted party politics with state protocols, and have abused and privatized public entities and funds. They have reinforced and perfected socioeconomic stratification, oppression and suppression, intimidation, exploitation, preying and pillaging. They have been found to be playing a game of pretenses, pocketing and money laundering. A bunch of lousy and incompetent letdowns who are only good at running down formerly functional systems, institutions, procedures and buildings they inherited from the colonizers. Are they not inventive and capable enough to move their countries forward? Why can’t they upgrade or maintain standards? The citizens are wondering and unimpressed. They are frustrated and outraged.

Daily Daylight Robberies

To get a glimpse into their failures, follies, disappointing delinquencies and antics, look no further than what is unfolding in Mozambique. Chaos. Daylight thuggery? Zimbabwe is no exception. Positive change is a must, or the country perpetually perishes as a pariah state. Citizens are mocked and mugged every day by daring and protected political parasites. Political cult culprits? One analyst said he sees a sickening, stubborn, pauperizing and dehumanizing mafia ring. The political landscape is changing in Botswana and South Africa. Or is it?

From Disillusionment to Dawn

The landscape is changing, and liberation credentials are losing their lustre. The unlistening, unpatriotic and unscrupulous elites long lost their hyped ideals and marbles. Their hyped songs are becoming more discordant and disillusioning by the day. Could people’s disappointments and disillusionments herald in a dawn of hope again? Citizens are worried and weary of the politics of hegemony, hate, cruelty, corruption and cronyism.