Former liberation movements accept Botswana as member

FORMER Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLMSA), have formally accepted the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) as a permanent member while continuing their efforts to counter regime change and illegal sanctions in member states.

FLMSA consists of Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF, South Africa’s ANC, Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania, Mozambique’s Frelimo, Angola’s MPLA and Namibia’s Swapo. The group’s 11th meeting for secretaries general and wings ended in Victoria Falls yesterday, with the BDP attending for the first time and being admitted as a member.

The meeting emphasised the need for unity and collaboration to prevent neo-colonialism.

Zanu-PF is the outgoing chair and has been tasked to handle secretariat activities, while incoming chair, ANC, was mandated with organising a Heads of States summit that will formally admit BDP, among other resolutions.

In a communiqué, FLMSA noted the appalling onslaught on parties by detractors and the need to implement resolutions of the 10th meeting in 2019 guided by the vision, hope and aspirations of the founding fathers of revolutionary parties in the region.

“It is resolved that the FLMs Heads of State Summit admits the BDP as a permanent member of FLMs. It is requested that the incoming chair of FLMs, the ANC, facilitates a Heads of State Summit soon after holding its elections.

“The FLMs to be vigilant against manifestations of hybrid warfare targeted at removing FLMs-led Governments with a view to replacing them with pliable puppets. It is resolved that FLMs remain united against twin scourges of neo-colonialism and imperialism,” reads part of the communiqué.

FLMs also resolved to empower and invest in youths of member states through scholarships, thereby insulating them from potential abuse by imperialist forces.

They also stressed the need to uphold and operationalise the Sadc Defence Pact of 1996 towards protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states, from aggression by anti-establishment forces.

The FLMs further resolved to continue supporting the Frelimo-led Government in the war against terror in Cabo Delgado and counter the neo-colonial ideological manipulation of citizens by captive governments, as well as channel resources towards establishment of own mechanisms to regulate and monitor the activities of non-governmental and civil society organisations, especially those funded by the West.

A resolution was also made to enjoin liberation movements to encourage citizens to responsibly use social media for national development and timeously share experiences and facilitate youth exchange programmes.

FLMs should also leverage on natural resources and establish border-less regimes for goods, people and services.

South Africa was applauded for successfully taking Israel to the International Court of Justice and they affirmed solidarity with the people of Palestine and Saharawi, as well as Venezuela and Cuba in the fight against sanctions.

The institutionalisation of the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere School of Leadership and other schools of ideology in FLMs states, came to the fore with the need to expedite the establishment of the National Youth Service in individual countries.

Improving the welfare of war veterans and creating a database of former liberation war fighters and regular trips to battle camps were noted as further resolutions, alongside the political situation in the region, challenges and threats in member states coming from Western countries, particularly United States and United Kingdom and their European allies using NGOs and opposition parties.