Liberation movements in power: party and state in southern Africa

In Liberation movements in power, Roger Southall provides a rich and refined account of political transformation in three ex-settler colonies in southern Africa, namely, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. In particular, he focuses on their former hegemonic national liberation movements, namely, the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) in Namibia and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) – now ZANU-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) – in Zimbabwe, their metamorphism into political parties and party machines, and their ‘capture’ of state power as the dominant political party subsequent to the end of white settler colonialism and the emergence of non-racial democracy. The general conclusion is that democratic ideals and procedures have become subordinated to the dictates of authoritarian restructuring