The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa

Gwyneth Williams, Brian Hackland

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781138195172
• eBook ISBN: 9781317270805
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: African Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

First published in 1988, The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa provides a guide to the often confusing politics of Southern Africa. The book identifies and explains political figures, organisations, systems and terminology from the region in a clear and practical way. It covers eleven countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Although first published in 1988, this book will be a valuable resource for journalists, students, diplomats, business people, and anyone else who is interested in the politics of this richly diverse continent.

A

AA (Tanzania) See African Association.

aamati (Namibia)

Among black Namibians in the north of the country this name, an Ovambo word meaning ‘the boys’, is applied to soldiers of PLAN. By contrast, the common word used to refer to members of the South African military and paramilitary forces, and to Namibians serving in them, is omakakunya, an Ovambo word meaning ‘creatures which gnaw at bones’, ‘bonepickers’, or, more freely translated, ‘scavengers’.

See also PLAN; SWATF.

Abdullah, Sayyid Jamshid ibn (Tanzania)

Sayyid Jamshid ibn Abdullah was the Sultan of Zanzibar. He ruled Zanzibar as a British protectorate from 1890 until he was overthrown in 1964: see Zanzibar.

Abdurahman, Abdulla (South Africa)

Dr Abdurahman was founder and president of the African People’s Organisation, the first ‘Coloured’ political movement. He argued for black unity in the struggle against white domination. Despite opposition within the APO from younger more radical elements, including his daughter Zainunnissa ‘Cissie’ Gool (who left to form the Non-European United Front) he remained president of the APO until his death in 1940.

See also African People’s Organisation.

Acção Nacional Popular (Mozambique)

The Acção Nacional Popular (ANP) was the official fascist party in Mozambique during the colonial period.

accord between Malawi and Mozambique, 1986 (Malawi, Mozambique)

A Joint Security Commission was set up between Malawi and Mozambique after a meeting in September 1986 in Blantyre during which President Machel of Mozambique and President Kaunda of Zambia both warned President Banda that they would consider closing their borders with Malawi unless he acted against the Mozambican rebel MNR movement operating from Malawi. Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, was also present.

Meetings of the Security Commission culminated, on 18 December 1986 in an accord on mutual co-operation and a protocol covering defence, state security and public order. Just before this Malawi announced that it had accepted proposals from the Mozambican government intended to ‘normalise’ relations between Malawi and Mozambique. It was reported that the proposals included Malawi’s re-routing of its trade away from South Africa’s transport system through the Mozambican system, to meet with the aims of SADCC, to which Malawi belongs.

See also Banda; Machel; MNR; SADCC.

Action Front for the Retention of Turnhalle Principles (Namibia) See AKTUR.

Action Own Future (South Africa) See Aksie Eie Toekoms.

Action Save White South Africa (South Africa) See Aksie Red Blank Suid-Afrika.

Action Save White South West Africa (Namibia)

A right wing organisation established to resist ‘reform’ in Namibia: see vigilante organisations.

Active Revolt (Angola)

Active Revolt (Revolta Activa) was an oppositionist faction of the MPLA which broke away in May 1974, at a time of division and weakness in the movement. Opposed to the leadership of Agostinho Neto, it was a movement dominated by intellectuals of the left. It never attracted a large following, but had among its members leading figures from the early years of the MPLA, including brothers Mario and Joaquim Pinto de Andrade.

See also MPLA; Neto; Pinto de Andrade, Mario and Joaquim.

ADMARC (Malawi) See Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation.

Administrator General (Namibia)

A South African judge, Justice Marthinus Steyn, was appointed by South Africa as the first administrator general in Namibia on 6 July 1977. The post was created to provide an interim system of administration in Namibia until the holding of UN supervised elections prior to independence. It followed agreement between South Africa and the Contact Group of western countries on the principle of free elections for a constituent assembly in Namibia. In fact South Africa has made several attempts since to set up interim or transitional governments in Namibia, in contravention of the agreement, and has used the post as a means of direct rule in Namibia.

Steyn held office until August 1979 when he was replaced by Professor Gerrit Viljoen, formerly head of the Broederbond in South Africa. In September 1980 Danie Hough became AG, and was replaced by Willem van Niekerk in February 1983. Van Niekerk was in turn succeeded by Louis Pienaar in May 1985.

See also Broederbond; Contact Group; DTA: MPC: Transitional Government of National Unity; Viljoen.

AET (South Africa) Aksie Eie Toekoms.

African Advisory Council (Botswana)

The African Advisory Council was founded in 1920 as the Native Advisory Council to discuss matters seen by the colonial authorities as affecting African interests. The Council provided a platform for people to argue against incorporating Bechuanaland (later Botswana) into the Union of South Africa. A Joint Advisory Council was proposed as a supplement to the African and European Advisory Councils, but all councils ceased to exist in 1961 when the Legislative Council was created.

See also European Advisory Council.

African Association (Tanzania)

The African Association (AA) was founded in 1929 to oppose the closer union with Kenya and Uganda which was sought by white settlers in Tanganyika (mainland Tanzania). It became known as Chama cha Umoja wa Watu wa Afrika – the Association of the Unity of the People of Africa. The organisation was designed to foster unity amongst Africans and its motto was ‘Unity is Strength’. Its first president was Mwalimu (or teacher) Cecil Matola, a distinguished teacher.

As time went on the association was accused of elitism, but various branches were formed and gradually its character changed and broadened. In 1945 the Tanganyika African Welfare Society, a student group led by Julius Nyerere (later to become president of Tanzania) converted its organisation into a branch of the African Association. In 1948 the association broke its links with Zanzibar after a dispute and renamed itself the Tanganyika African Association, often known as the TAA. Soon the TAA began to decline in popularity and in 1954 Julius Nyerere converted the organisation into TANU, the Tanganyika African National Union, which was to become the country’s main nationalist political party campaigning for independence.

See also Nyerere; TANU.

Africanisation (southern Africa)

Africanisation is the policy followed by most newly independent African countries in which expatriates from the former colonial power are replaced by local people in state and para-statal jobs. In Zambia this policy was sometimes more specifically called ‘Zambianisation’. Its aim is to exercise a greater control over the country as well as provide jobs for the population and train local people in skills which have often been denied to them under the colonial regime.

See also Tanganyika.

Africanism (South Africa)

‘Africanism’ is a political philosophy developed by a pressure group within the Congress Youth League during the 1940s. One of its initiators was Anton Muziwakhe Lembede, a founder of the Youth League. The philosophy behind Africanism was an assertive nationalism which emphasised local leadership and the liberation of Africans by Africans. It argued that Africans should assert themselves and their rights and that mass struggles were necessary to overthrow white domination. The Youth League aimed to inspire the ANC with ‘the spirit of African nationalism’, and it became a dominant influence in the organisation through its Programme of Action which was adopted by the ANC in 1949.

Africanism conflicted with the ANC’s developing policy of a multiracial, class-oriented approach to liberation, influenced, though not dominated, by the Communist Party of South Africa. This was consolidated during the 1950s under what the Africanists called the ‘leftist’ or ‘Charterist’ (after the ANC’s Freedom Charter) leadership of Chief Lutuli. Africanists were opposed to the Congress Alliance, which brought together democrats of all races in a common front during the 1950s. In 1959 the Africanists split from the ANC and formed the Pan-Africanist Congress under the leadership of Robert Sobukwe.

Africanism had its influence on the later development of black consciousness during the 1960s and 70s, but it differed profoundly from the modern movement. Black consciousness, for instance, included ‘Coloureds’ and ‘Indians’ in its definition of black, and it also conceded differences within the black community which it often attributed to class differences.

See also African National Congress of South Africa; Black Consciousness; Congress Youth League; Freedom Charter; Lutuli.

African Mineworkers’ Union (Zambia)

The African Mineworkers’ Union (AMU) was formed in 1949 and led by the charismatic leader Lawrence Katilungu. It joined with other unions to form the Trades Union Congress in 1950. The AMU renamed itself the Zambia Mineworkers’ Union in 1965, and after a merger, the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia in 1967. This is the most powerful trade union in the country, representing the mineworkers of the Copperbelt.

See also Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia.

African National Congress (Zambia)

In 1948 the Federation of African Welfare Societies formed itself into the Northern Rhodesia African Congress. This in turn renamed itself the African National Congress in 1951 under the presidency of Harry Nkumbula. The ANC was to become Zambia’s first militant nationalist organisation.

In the period 1952–4 the ANC led the struggle against the imposition of the Central African Federation and organised boycotts of premises which discriminated against Africans. In 1958 the ANC agreed to support a new constitution for Northern Rhodesia and Harry Nkumbula prepared to stand for election. Kenneth Kaunda and other prominent members split from the ANC over this issue and formed another party, the Zambia African National Congress, which was to evolve into Zambia’s main nationalist party, UNIP.

See also Central African Federation; Federation of Welfare Societies; Kaunda; Nkumbula; Northern Rhodesia African Congress.

African National Congress (Zimbabwe)

The African National Congress (ANC) was formed in 1957 from the Congress Youth League which began two years earlier. It should not be confused with the African National Council, also known as the ANC, which was led from 1971 to 1976 by the Zimbabwean politician, Bishop Abel Muzorewa. The President of the African National Congress was Joshua Nkomo and the general secretary, George Nyandoro. The ANC drew its main support from the urban areas and the trade union movement. Its slogan was ‘Forward ever, backward never’, and it proclaimed a policy of national unity and opposition to tribalism and racialism. It was pledged to encourage trade unions, fight for the repeal of the pass laws and work for the introduction of universal adult suffrage. It also demanded the repeal of the Land Apportionment Act by which land rights for black Zimbabweans were restricted to the overcrowded ‘reserves’.

The first ANC in Zimbabwe was formed after the 1914–18 war in response to the growth of the ANC of South Africa, but this was a minority movement and did not survive for long. In February 1959 a State of Emergency was declared by the Prime Minister of what was then Southern Rhodesia (later to become Zimbabwe). Under this the ANC was banned and many of its members detained. In January 1960 the National Democratic Party (NDP) was formed as a caretaker party for the ANC.

See also African National Congress of South Africa; African National Council; Muzorewa; National Democratic Party; Nkomo; Nyandoro.

African National Congress of South Africa (South Africa)

The ANC or African National Congress leads the liberation struggle in South Africa. It was founded as the South African Native National Congress on 8 January 1912 at a conference in Bloemfontein, and in 1923 changed its name to the African National Congress. The first president of the organisation was John L. Dube, leader of the Natal Native Congress and the General Secretary was Sol T. Plaatje, who had been active in the Cape-based ‘Coloured’ organisation, the African People’s Organisation.

The ANC was a modern nationalist movement. It opposed tribalism. ‘We’, its founders asserted, ‘are one people’. Nevertheless, at the beginning it was conservative. At first the organisation was formed primarily to promote the interests of the growing but small African professional middle class: doctors, teachers, journalists and lawyers. It opposed the colour bar and sought to extend African democratic rights and advance Africans within the society gener...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of illustrations
• Introduction
• Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of Southern Africa
• List of entries by country
• Further reading