President Emmerson Mnangagwa has delivered a defiant message to fellow African liberation movements, declaring that they must never relinquish power and must remain united in the face of what he described as “foreign sabotage” aimed at undermining African sovereignty.
Addressing a high-level political gathering of Southern African liberation movements, Mnangagwa warned that forces opposed to the continent’s independence are intensifying efforts to divide ruling parties and weaken their grip on power.
“Down the revolutionary road, the forces have doubled up their antics to divide and fragment our movements,” he said. “They are unrelenting in their nefarious quest to obliterate the liberation movements from the political radar of our region.”
Mnangagwa said African democracy, freedom, and independence were not gifts, but victories won through sacrifice and struggle. He accused unnamed foreign entities of using “corporate sponsorship, conflict, and interference in the internal affairs of our parties” to destabilize progressive governments.
“The infrastructure that once denied us democracy and independence has only morphed—it now expresses itself in many subtle and insidious ways,” he said. “We cannot be complacent.”
Calling for strategic vigilance, he added: “Robust and fluid strategies are necessary to guarantee the perpetuity of our people-centered governance. We defeated them in the past—and we shall defeat them again and again and again.”
Mnangagwa’s speech also carried a strong message on political survival, declaring that ruling liberation parties had a “sacred duty” to stay in power in order to continue advancing the people’s agenda.
“We can never, never give up. We must never allow ourselves to lose power,” he said emphatically. “This is what our heroes fought for. Our synergies and collaboration must be bold and purposeful.”
He urged stronger ties and honest exchanges between liberation movements to counter external threats, insisting that their survival is intertwined with the destiny of their nations.
“As revolutionary mass parties, we must look into the future with confidence and optimism—with the people and our countries being masters of our own destinies,” he concluded.
President Mnangagwa’s remarks come as liberation parties across the region face growing pressure from youthful electorates, economic struggles, and rising opposition movements. His call for unity among the former liberation movements is likely to resonate with allies—but it may also reignite debate about democracy, succession, and power retention on the continent.
