JOHANNESBURG – African liberation movements must decide whether they still serve the people or have become symbols of power and comfort, says ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
Addressing delegates at the ANC Liberation Movement Summit underway in Johannesburg, Mashatile questioned whether parties that once led freedom struggles remain credible agents of justice. He warned that internal divisions and elite interests are eroding their legitimacy.
The summit, which runs until Monday, brought together senior figures from Southern Africa’s former liberation movements including Mozambique’s FRELIMO, Namibia’s SWAPO, Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF and Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi.
Mashatile told delegates that the hard-won independence that swept across the region must not be used to justify complacency. He urged parties to return to the values that defined their founding missions, warning that disillusionment among the youth is growing amid joblessness, inequality, and migration.
“We did not fight to liberate our people only to create space for the enrichment of elites,” he said. “Are our movements still advancing justice, or are we just clinging to power?”
He called on the parties to reflect not only on their legacies but on their current impact. “It is not enough to wear the badge of liberation,” he said. “We must ask if we are still vehicles of justice, or have become platforms for status and convenience.”
Mashatile’s speech revisited the historic relationships between the region’s movements, reminding the audience of the sacrifices and solidarity that defined their common fight against apartheid, racism and colonialism.
He urged a renewed commitment to transformation, arguing that economic, cultural, and intellectual liberation must follow political freedom. “He who feeds you, controls you,” he said, quoting Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.
Delegates were also warned of the growing influence of multinational corporations, foreign debt and unregulated technology, which Mashatile said now represent the modern face of exploitation. He accused imperial forces of rebranding rather than disappearing.
“Our unity is not symbolic; it is strategic,” he said. “The enemies of our people are reorganising.”
He warned of a rise in right-wing populism and unilateralism, saying it threatens collective global decisions and peace efforts. As powers scramble for Africa’s resources and influence, he said liberation movements must recalibrate their stance on global affairs.
Mashatile urged a shift from nostalgia to action, calling on movements to once again become engines of transformation and accountability.
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