African liberation movements: West trying to divide and dominate continent again

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (L), Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (R) are seen during the liberation movement summit in Kempton Park, South Africa.

Liberation movements from six African countries have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strengthen unity against Western interference, warning that external forces are attempting to divide African countries and recapture the continent economically.

Several heads of African states whose liberation movements now serve as governing parties in their respective countries gathered in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, over the weekend.

They reflected on their roles in the struggle for freedom and recommitted to unity while defending democratic gains against neo-colonialism.

The delegates also reflected on their role in improving and uplifting the standard of living on the continent.

Apart from internal political issues gripping the organizations, the leaders of the political parties also criticized the interference of Western countries in African affairs, blaming external forces from the West for fueling divisions on the continent.

In a united front, the parties, which were mostly represented by their presidents, vowed not to allow colonialists to recapture the continent through economic and other sanctions.

In response to the latest sanctions by US President Donald Trump, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the external forces have been unrelenting in their quest to obliterate liberation movements from the political radar in the region.

“However, 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,” he noted.

Mnangagwa added that the liberation movement needs the same vigor and energy that defeated the colonial powers to defeat them again.

“We defeated them in the past, and we shall defeat them again, and again and again. Through our unity and unbreakable solidarity, victory is always certain,” he said.

The president of Namibia and Swapo, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said that there were concerted efforts by those who were opposed to independence, who masqueraded in economic, political and diplomatic conspiracies to undermine the gains of the movement.

“They are motivated, as we are all aware, by both domestic and foreign policy interests and actively seek to undermine the political dominance of our liberation parties, with the long-term objective of weakening and unseating us from power altogether,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah underlined that those external forces wanted to divide and conquer while extracting the wealth of the continent to benefit their countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his part, said liberation movements should refuse to accept colonialism as fate.

“We also recall that the project to dismantle apartheid, racism, colonialism and hate was one which profited from international solidarity with the [Organization of African Unity] OAU Liberation Committee as well as the progressive diaspora and friends at the forefront,” he said.

Ramaphosa reminded the delegates that the struggles were not simply for political independence but for the total liberation of their people: economic, cultural, intellectual and social.

The African National Congress (ANC) closed the summit by handing over the leadership to the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) of Tanzania, which is scheduled to host the forthcoming summit.