Former liberation movements of Southern Africa gathered at Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls under the theme "Unity, Collaboration, and Defense of Liberation gains against neocolonialism" to talk on various concerns, such as combatting neocolonialism and interference from Western powers, Zimbabwe's state media The Herald said.
Among the participants of the meeting were secretary generals of the movements, including those of Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF, South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), Botswana's Democratic Party, Mozambique's Frelimo, Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Angola's People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), and Namibia's South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO).
The chairperson of the meeting, ZANU-PF Secretary General Obert Mpofu, emphasized the importance of the resilience of the former liberation movements in Southern Africa and the need to enhance their solidarity in defense of the liberation struggle.
"No divisions will succeed, for what binds us is more than what can ever separate us. The band is sticking together," Mpofu stressed.
He went on to say that the former liberation movements "are the parties that stood for [their] people when [they] were under subjugation by the imperialists," adding that they "fought and brought independence to [their] respective countries."
"It was a collective effort; and we should always act as a collective unit" Mpofu underlined.
Secretary generals from sister revolutionary parties, including Fikile Mbalula of ANC South Africa; Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi of Chama Cha Mapinduzi Tanzania; Roque Silva Samuel of Frelimo Mozambique; Paulo Pombolo of MPLA - Angola, Sophia Shaningwa of Swapo Namibia, and Kavis Kario of BDP Botswana, were also present at the meeting.
Many of the former liberation movements, which emerged in Southern Africa in the mid-20th century in response to colonial rule and oppression, transitioned into political parties and have governed their respective countries since gaining independence.