Organisers:
Roger Southall rogerjsouthall@gmail.com
Henning Melber Henning.Melber@nai.uu.se
Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are governed by former national liberation movements (FNLMs). Since the end of white minority regimes they have all transformed into dominant parties. These are in varying degrees controlling the state. They have formed an alliance in support of each other to resist so-called regime change. Meeting for exchanges based on the mutual agreement entered, the last of their summits so far was held in July 2025 in Johannesburg. Being in government, they also play an influential role in SADC as the regional body’s Member States.
The FNLMs heroic narratives take forms of patriotic history and continue to display a mindset and ideology nurtured by the glorification of the armed struggle history and the sacrifices made. These are considered as entitlements to legitimately rule forever. But with the expiry date of struggle veterans and an electorate increasingly composed of “born frees”, the domestic perception as well as legitimacy of FNLMs has been eroded. Not least the lack of delivery is a contributing factor to undermine the “rule forever”. The responses to their political decline differ, as do their adjustments to new realities. But despite variations, post-settler colonial African worlds in these countries continue to have the imprint of FNLMs.
This stream invites case studies as well as comparative analyses taking stock of the systems that have emerged under FNLMs, both in terms of political cultures (such as populist authoritarian tendencies and repression) as well as the limits to socio-economic transformation. We invite proposals with different perspectives, analysing the track record of FNLMs since in political power and control over the state, not least with a focus on what could be called the limits to liberation and the responses by the people governed. The stream would also welcome contributions exploring the role of FNLMs in SADC as well as the interaction of SADC and its other Member States with FNLMs and their governments.
Depending on the submissions and presentations, we consider a guest edit journal issue or an edited book volume.
For further enquiries contact Roger Southhall (rogerjsouthall@gmail.com) and Henning Melber (Henning.Melber@nai.uu.se.
