The African National Congress recently hosted the Liberation Movement Summit under the theme “Defending the Liberation Gains, Advancing Integrated Socio-Economic Development, Strengthening Solidarity for a Better Africa.”
Held annually, the Liberation Summit brings together representatives from former independence movements such as SWAPO, FRELIMO, MPLA, ZANU-PF, and CCM as a means of deepening ties between the parties.
Speaking to VOC News, Dr. Paul Kariuki, Executive Director of the Democracy Development Programme, said the summit comes at an interesting period in Southern African history, as the voice of the youth continues to rise, demanding greater accountability from former liberation parties.
“The emergence of a new generation, Gen Z, who completely disregard the notion of ‘same old, same old.’ In other words, they are demanding responsive governments that ensure that the needs of young people are considered and engaged, and liberation movements have not done so much work in that area of bringing in this new generation where they can be engaged properly,” said Kariuki.
Kariuki added that former liberation movements are struggling to stay relevant in the post-colonial era, and a key hindrance to their growth is their limited engagement with the digital world.
“It’s important to realize that if these liberation movements are not going to reframe their agendas around contemporary issues, digital transformation, and socioeconomic challenges, they are going to be out of existence entirely,” said Kariuki.
Listen to the full interview here:
