Statement to mark the 2nd anniversary of the launch of the Freedom Alliance

The launch of Freedom Alliance on 18th December 2021 symbolised a renewed determination by our oppressed people in their heroic struggle for self-determination and human dignity.

This is a continuation of a century old struggle first against external colonialism and now against internal colonialism. It is a fight against economic dispossession, cultural destruction and political oppression. It is a fight against joblessness, poverty and destitution. It is a fight against all forms of discrimination and revisionist tendencies that seek to dislodge us of our birth right.

It is my singular honour to present this statement marking our second anniversary. Without doubt, the launch of the Freedom Alliance inspired hope and instilled confidence that we are our own liberators. The hope came from the Freedom Alliance's call for a unified effort to address our social, economic and political challenges. It called for a unity of equals where no organisation must submit to another. It's dual membership clause enables committed members to subscribe to a collective agenda without abandoning their parties of choice.

Indeed, we must emphasize that ours is a call for unity of the people fighting against oppression and hence a political parties' pact can be part of that unity but not necessarily our core mandate. We remain faithful to the Phutheho Convention resolution that gave birth to this mass movement.

As we mark two years since that historic launch on 18th December 2021, we reflect on the journey we have travelled and take stock of both our successes and failures. For there are many lessons that have been learnt already. We are obliged to be sincere in our reflection and self-criticism if we are to advance the liberation struggle a step forward.

We had no illusion from the beginning that the task before us was simple. We have met many challenges, some seemingly insurmountable, but we have soldiered on. We shall continue to do so. History is on our side and victory is inevitable.  The revolutionary path we have taken is not adventurism, hence it demands consistent vigilance, dedication to duty and self-discipline.

We have made strides towards realizing the vision of the Matabeleland Freedom Charter in the last two years but much more still needs to be done. The 23-24 August 2023 general elections availed us an opportunity to unify our efforts in the Matabeleland region and even beyond. Although we were betrayed by sister parties in our region, we are proud of our principled stand and efforts towards recovering our political space. We are far much better now than before with that experience.

Much more could have been done taking advantage of the electoral period. We contested in few wards in Bulawayo yet we have capacity beyond that. We remain proud of the men and women who agreed to be pioneer candidates for the glorious Freedom Alliance. One day, their courage and efforts will be rewarded. We thank every member who sacrificed resources and time towards our electoral effort. Many lessons have been learnt. Remember that for us elections are just one of the many options available in our quest for justice, liberty and equality.

At the launch two years ago, we had ambitious plans about what needed to be done. Ambitious in the sense that much needs to be done but for an oppressed and scattered people reeling in poverty, the enabling means frustrate many good plans. We have since realized the need to internally restructure our organisation for efficiency in realizing our mandate hence the call for a National General Council. We hope the NGC may reconsider some of inhibiting constitutional clauses and address bottlenecks in growing the membership and in resources mobilisation. Above all, the NGC must restructure the leadership.

Although the oppressor remains strong and our people deeply impoverished, divided and weak, as Freedom Alliance we have gained useful experience in the last two years. Our appreciation of the conditions of our oppression and the experiences of the suffering people has since deepened. We are in a better position now than before to face the oppressor and murderers of our people in every space as we seek justice.

May I conclude by conveying my congratulations to the Freedom Alliance family for this second anniversary and wishing the movement many progressive years of fighting and ultimately a deserved victory.  Let us keep our Freedom Flame ablaze. Let us keep our cogwheels in motion. United We Stand! United We are Stronger! United to Victory! Izandla Ekhubeni maqabane.