EKURHULENI – ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has accused Western powers of pushing a persistent agenda to label Africa’s liberation movements as terrorist organisations — a narrative she said failed to erase the continent’s fight for justice.
Addressing delegates on the third day of the Liberation Movement Summit in Ekurhuleni, Mokonyane said the continent’s historic struggles were deliberately misrepresented by global powers opposed to African self-determination.
“They tried to brand us as terrorists, but failed,” Mokonyane told representatives from parties with liberation credentials, including South Africa’s ANC, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, Namibia’s SWAPO, Angola’s MPLA, Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF and Tanzania’s CCM.
She said those movements stood not for violence but for justice — taking up arms and protest to bring down colonial rule.
The gathering, focused on deepening cooperation among former liberation movements, is expected to produce a joint declaration outlining commitments to regional unity and economic emancipation. Mokonyane spoke of a shared mission to confront the aftershocks of colonialism and apartheid, which she said continue to hold African nations back.
She credited the Soviet Union with providing training, support, and a diplomatic platform for Africa’s liberation fighters at a time when Western countries treated them as pariahs.
“The Soviet Union stood with us when others branded us as criminals,” she said.
Mokonyane warned that imperialism has taken new forms, pointing to media manipulation, external funding of opposition parties, and economic pressure through trade policies. She cited recent US tariffs and withdrawal of trade preferences as tactics meant to undermine African-led governments.
“These are not coincidences,” she said. “They are tools designed to replace legitimate governments with puppet regimes.”
She accused Western countries of using their influence over international media to misrepresent African states and frustrate progressive change.
According to Mokonyane, the message from African liberation parties was clear: the continent will not bow to foreign manipulation, and unity remains its greatest defence.
“We defeated colonialism — now we must defeat its lingering legacy,” she said.
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