Mokonyane slams West for ‘terrorist' labels on African Liberation Movements
ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane delivered a blistering political broadside against Western powers, accusing them of a longstanding agenda to brand African liberation movements as terrorist organisations — an effort she said has failed dismally.
Speaking on day three of the Liberation Movement Summit in Ekurhuleni, attended by legacy liberation parties including South Africa's ANC, Mozambique's FRELIMO, Namibia's SWAPO, Angola's MPLA, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF, and Tanzania's CCM, Mokonyane praised the enduring solidarity among African liberation parties and condemned the West's efforts to delegitimise their struggles.
'They tried to brand us as terrorists, but failed,' Mokonyane declared.
We were not terrorists — we were the vanguard of justice, fighting to dismantle the last bastions of colonialism on this planet, said Mokonyane.
The Summit, hosted under the banner of deepening cooperation between former liberation movements, aims to adopt a joint declaration reaffirming their ideological unity and commitment to eradicating the socio-economic residue of colonialism and apartheid.
Mokonyane paid tribute to the support received from the Soviet Union during the liberation era, noting the military and academic training offered to African fighters, as well as diplomatic backing in international forums.
'The Soviet Union stood with us when others branded us as criminals,' she said, adding that today, political power belongs to democratic governments that reflect the interests of the people.
She warned of a 'new wave of imperialism,' citing political manipulation, media interference, and the financial bolstering of opposition parties by Western governments.
Mokonyane referenced recent US trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and the rollback of trade preferences, as examples of neo-colonial economic warfare.
'These are not coincidences,' Mokonyane said, stating that they were deliberate moves to weaken progressive governments and reinstall puppet regimes.
'They use their control over the media to destabilise the situation in your countries. Today, the West, represented by the US, seeks to eliminate even weak compensation mechanisms for neo-colonial robbery,' she said.
The Summit, which also includes fraternal allies and observers, is expected to conclude with a declaration committing member parties to intensified economic transformation, regional solidarity, and resistance against foreign interference.
Mokonyane said Africa was no longer a playground for imperialist powers. She said unity was their shield and history was their strength.
'We defeated colonialism — now we must defeat its lingering legacy,' she said.
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