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Home / Former liberation movements’ leaders congregate in Windhoek

Former liberation movements’ leaders congregate in Windhoek

2018-11-22  Kuzeeko Tjitemisa

Former liberation movements’ leaders congregate in Windhoek

WINDHOEK – Six former leaders of different liberation movements from Southern Africa are meeting in Windhoek for a summit aimed at strengthening ties between their current leaders.

By yesterday, the movements’ secretaries general and the women wing leaders of Swapo (Namibia), Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe), Frelimo (Mozambique), ANC (South Africa), MPLA (Angola) and Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania) were already in the capital having pre-meetings ahead of a meeting of the parties’ presidents today.

ANC and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, Frelimo and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, Zanu-PF and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and Tanzanian President John Magufuli and MPLA and Angolan President João Lourenço were all expected to arrive in Windhoek late yesterday to join their Swapo and Namibian counterpart Hage Geingob.

Opening the secretaries general meeting here yesterday, Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa said the history of Southern Africa has a long association with the history of their former liberation movements.

Shaningwa said this is so because the liberation movements were founded with a clear decisive resolve to dislodge colonial oppression in their respective countries and Southern Africa in general.

Shaningwa was accompanied at the high table by secretaries general of MPLA Alvaro Neto, Roque Samuel (Frelimo), Obert Mpofu (Zanu-PF), Humphrey Polepole (CCM) and Ace Magashule (ANC).

 “The revolutionary mission of liberating our people from the yoke of colonialism and oppression has been achieved,” she said, adding that today democracy is well and alive in the sub-region.

“We salute our founding fathers and mothers who dedicated their lives to ensure that we are free people charting our destinies free from interference of colonial oppression and exploitation,” she said.

Shaningwa said the challenges of governing faced by ruling parties in democratic setups are severe and require that they regularly meet and consult on relevant and pertinent issues.

“This meeting is therefore in the context of consulting one another and learning from one another as parties who liberated our respective countries,” she said. 

“This is good and just, because it accords us an opportunity to stand by each other as we have done during the difficult time of colonial resistance and liberation struggle of our motherlands,” she said.

She said former liberation movements have a daunting task ahead of them to transmit the revolution discipline of their movements to the youth.

“We need to inculcate self-respect and patriotism in our youth today and party members, the rank and file,” she said.
“We also need to close the historical gender parity which have for a long time disadvantaged our female compatriots. We need to ensure tangible improvements in the areas of education of the girl child without leaving a boy child, hence our sole responsibility,” she said.


2018-11-22  Kuzeeko Tjitemisa

Tags: Khomas
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