By Sizalobuhle Khumalo
Former Liberation Movements (FML) in Southern Africa have hailed the establishment of the Mwalimu Kambarage Julius Nyerere School of Leadership (MKJNLS) in Tanzania.
The school is being constructed by the Chinese and on completion will become the apex school for the FLM region.
In their official communiqué marking the end of the FLM 10th meeting that was held in Victoria Falls this week, the FLM commended the Communist Party of China (CPC) for help rendered towards the construction of the apex political regional school.
“FLM commend the Communist Party of China (CPC) for the sisterhood spirit it has exhibited through the construction of the Mwalimu Kambarage Julius Nyerere Leadership School (MKJNLS) of Ideology in Tanzania and various other invaluable forms of support rendered to FLMs,” read the communiqué in part.
FLMs unanimously agreed that they expedite the operationalization of their respective Schools of Ideology.
“To expedite the operationalization of Schools of Ideology based on shared revolutionary curriculum, and further enjoin governments to implement compliant mainstream school curricular from early childhood in order to inculcate patriotism.
“The respective party schools become faculties of knowledge contributions for the shared experiences, principles and ideological values of the FLMs,” read the communiqué.
Zimbabwe has The Hebert Chitepo School of Ideology whose construction is still at the formative stage.
The liberation movements also urged its institutions and agencies to be strong vehicles of ideological impartation in the fight of neo-colonialism.
“Cognisant of the soft-power warfare, FLM institutions and agencies must be united by their generational mandate to pass ideological tutelage to the youth and their general membership who are targets of the subtle methods of neo-colonialism,” noted the FLMs.
Commenting on this development, ANC Secretary General, Cde Ace Magashule said “we are in the theatre of a fundamental ideological struggle. Our struggle is a struggle against the legacy of imperialism and colonialism.
“Therefore we cannot achieve its strategic objectives without building a new cadre capable of leading our people into the future. It is for this reason that we have to take the issue of political education very seriously,” said Cde Magashule.
He added: “Any revolutionary momentum without theory is sterile, and similarly theory without practice is counter revolutionary. We therefore appreciate our common effort, together with the leadership of the Communist Party of China, to build a regional political school in Tanzania.”
Cde Magashule also said there was need “to exchange our knowledge and expertise and ensure that we consolidate the work of political education in our own countries. We have a vast reservoir of an army of political commissars of our liberation who were effectively trained on the theory of our liberation in the best schools in the former Soviet Union, China, Cuba and many other parts of the world.”
Similarly, The Hebert Chitepo School of Ideology Principal, Cde Munyaradzi Machacha said “we must educate our people and equip them with the skills to correctly interpret the actions of the enemy. In this regard we are pleased to note that most if not all former liberation movement political parties have established party schools.
“The apex school, the MKJNLS in Tanzania is making satisfactory progress in the construction. As of our own, the site has been procured and we are currently drawing up the plans.”
