African heroes in the liberation struggles

1. They formed political parties in their countries which were used in the nationalist struggles for independence;
2. They encouraged their fellow Africans in their countries to unite together in the struggles for independence;
3. They proposed the techniques used in the struggles for independence;
4. They sacrificed their resources to facilitate political party activities and the struggles for independence;
5. They travelled throughout their countries and abroad to promote the liberation struggles for independence;
6. They supported the liberation struggles in other countries by providing economic and military assistance and aid. They even hosted and protected liberation fighters of other countries in their own countries;
7. They led fellow Africans to fight wars to liberate their countries against the colonialists; and
8. They were patriotic leaders who were ready to die for their nations and for Africa.

In this section, we will look at some of Africa's heroes and assess their contributions to the achievement of the liberation struggles of the African continent.

Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere was the leader of Tanganyika. He successfully led the political movements in Tanganyika, which enabled the country to attain her independence in 1961. He led Tanganyika after independence. Thereafter, he became the first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, after the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar in 1964. He is recognised as the "Father of the Nation". He willingly retired as president of the United Republic of Tanzania in 1985. He died on 14th October, 1999.

He was an educated leader who studied History and Economics at Edinburgh University in the United Kingdom. He worked as a secondary school teacher at St. Francis College which is currently known as Pugu Secondary School. He then resigned from working at St. Francis College and joined political liberation struggles for the independence of Tanganyika.

1. He led liberation struggles in Tanganyika;
2. He willingly decided to resign from teaching and began to campaign for the liberation struggles which enabled Tanganyika to achieve her independence in 1961;
3. He formally started political activities in 1953 when he was elected president of the Tanganyika African Association (TAA) and changed it to the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) in 1954;
4. He travelled all over Tanganyika to mobilize and conscientise citizens and chiefs to unite in the fight for independence;
5. He attended the United Nations session of the United Nations Trusteeship Council in New York, the United States of America. In that session, he emphasized that the intention of the people of Tanganyika was to govern themselves;
6. His ability to make logical arguments during deliberations as well as to motivate and encourage citizens enabled Tanganyikans to get independence without bloodshed;
7. In September 1960, Nyerere was appointed Chief Minister and in May 1961, he was appointed Prime Minister in the colonial government. However, these positions did not give Nyerere the authority to make decisions in the colonial government. Later, on 9th December 1961, Tanganyika gained her independence and Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere became the Prime Minister of Tanganyika. He then became the first President of the Republic of Tanganyika in 1962 and the first President of the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964 with full authority to make decisions in the country;
8. He strongly opposed all kinds of racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination;
9. He opposed exploitation and oppression between rulers and the ruled, rich and poor countries or developed and developing countries; and
10. He acted as a mediator in the Burundi dispute before his death.

1. He unified Tanzanians despite the presence of more than 120 ethnic groups with different cultures.
2. He promoted Kiswahili, which is an African language, to become the national language. This language is currently an international language spoken outside the borders of Tanzania.
3. He set an excellent example of leadership in Africa by voluntarily retiring from the presidency in 1985.

1. He was among the founders of African socialist ideology. The foundation of African Socialism (Ujamaa) was derived from communalism and the notion of African democracy. He encouraged African countries to avoid the Western political ideology of capitalism because he believed that it would promote exploitation of African resources and class division after independence;
2. He was one of the founders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU);
3. He initiated the idea of forming regional cooperation in order to strengthen African countries. He believed that unity was strength and disunity was weakness. This idea led to the formation of different regional groupings in Africa, such as the following:
   • The East African Community (1967-1977), which consisted of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda;
   • The Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC): This cooperation was formed in 1980 in Zambia. Currently, the cooperation is known as the Southern African Development Community (SADC);
   • The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); and
   • The Pan-African Freedom Movement for East and Central Africa (PAFMECA), which included Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and Zambia. These regional groupings developed strategies to resist foreign invasion (neo-colonialism) after independence in Africa.
4. He made a significant contribution to the liberation movement of the countries that were still under colonialism, especially the countries in Southern Africa. For example, he provided material and financial support to freedom fighters regardless of the sanctions imposed against his country during the period of liberation struggles. The following are among the political movements he supported:
   • The African National Congress (ANC) and Pan-African Congress (PAC) of South Africa;
   • Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) of Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia);
   • South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) of Namibia;
   • Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA) of Angola; and
   • Frente de Libertação Moçambique (FRELIMO) of Mozambique.

Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana. He led political movements that enabled Ghana to get her independence in 1957. This was the first African country to get independence in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kwame Nkrumah ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966, when he was removed from power by the military.

Kwame Nkrumah had a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree which he earned from the United States of America. He did his PhD research in the United Kingdom (UK). When he was in the UK, he joined the Pan-Africanist Movement.

1. He returned to Ghana in 1947 before completing his PhD Degree to start the Pan-African Movement;
2. He started the liberation struggles in Ghana as a Secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) party in 1947. He continued with the liberation struggles even when he was imprisoned in 1948 for leading the liberation movement in Ghana; and
3. He founded the Convention People's Party (CPP) in 1949 while he was in prison. The party got popularity and won 34 out of 38 seats in the 1951 elections. This victory forced the British to free Nkrumah from prison and to allow him to form an African transitional government as Prime Minister. Nkrumah held the position of Prime Minister until Ghana gained full independence in 1957. He became the first President of Ghana after independence.

1. He was one of the founders of African Socialism. He did not believe in capitalism as a strategy for African development. He promoted socialism and opposed capitalism;
2. He advocated the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) during the cold war period;
3. He participated and supported the African liberation struggles as follows:
   • He was the General Secretary of the International Pan-African Conference held in Manchester in 1945. George Padmore was the chairperson of the conference. This conference emphasized unity and cooperation in demanding independence of black people in the world and the liberation of the African continent;
   • He organised the All African People's Congress in December, 1958 in Accra, Ghana. The congress emphasized the struggles for independence and protection of the attained independence in Africa;
   • He advocated for all African countries to become one nation after independence. This advocacy was not achieved because some of the African leaders feared to lose their positions. However, this idea led to the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963. The organisation is now known as the African Union (AU); and
   • He was the first African to analyse the new forms of colonial invasion in Africa after independence. He referred to this invasion as "neo-colonialism." He urged African countries to formulate strategies for overcoming neo-colonialism in their countries.

Nkrumah was overthrown by the army in 1966 while he was on a trip to China. It is thought that some foreign nations used Ghanaian puppets in government to overthrow President Nkrumah.

Jomo Kenyatta, popularly known as "Kamau wa Ngengi", was the leader of the Republic of Kenya. He led the political liberation struggle which enabled Kenya to gain her independence in 1963. He was the first President of Kenya. He was known as the "national elder". Kenyatta was an educated Kenyan; he studied Anthropology in Britain. He believed that complete independence could be achieved after a country had been fully liberated from all forms of colonialism.

1. He participated in the Pan-African Congress (PAC) of 1945, which deliberated on ending colonialism and racism in Africa;
2. He returned to Kenya from England in 1946 and joined the struggles for independence;
3. He was the leader of the Kenya African National Union (KANU), the party which liberated Kenya from colonialism in 1963; and
4. He led the MAUMAU movement in Kenya between 1952 and 1960. Because of his involvement in the liberation struggles, the colonial government arrested and imprisoned him from 1952 to 1959.

1. He signed the agreement to establish the first East African Community, which operated from 1967 to 1977. This Community was established in order to strengthen the economy, politics and security of East African countries; and
2. He was a member of the Pan-African Freedom Movement for Eastern and Central Africa (PAFMECA). This organisation supported the liberation struggle in East and Central African countries.

Kenneth Kaunda was born in 1924. He led the liberation struggle in Northern Rhodesia, which enabled Northern Rhodesia to get her independence from Britain in 1964. Like Jomo Kenyatta, he believed that complete independence could only be achieved after a country had been fully liberated from all forms of colonialism.

1. He resigned from his job and officially joined the liberation struggles in Northern Rhodesia in 1951;
2. He led the United National Independence Party (UNIP), which helped Northern Rhodesia to achieve her independence in 1964;
3. He led a national strike known as Cha-Cha-Cha. The strike shook British colonial rule and made the colonial officials realise Zambians' desire for their independence; and
4. Even while in prison, he continued to promote the struggles that enabled Northern Rhodesia to regain her independence in 1964.

1. He led Zambia, as one of the Frontline States, in supporting the liberation struggle of Southern African countries when he was still in office;
2. Like the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, he provided sponsorship and assistance to the liberation political parties of Southern Africa such as the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) and the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU); the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa; FRELIMO of Mozambique; and the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) of Namibia;
3. He did not stop sponsoring the freedom fighters of Southern Africa in spite of the economic sanctions which had been imposed on Zambia's economy and other sources of revenue by the Boers of the apartheid regime in South Africa and the capitalist countries. For example, they imposed economic sanctions on the country, withheld aid, and sabotaged the TAZARA in 1979;
4. He gave Zambian land to groups of freedom fighters from Southern African countries and supported their military training. The groups included ANC, SWAPO and the Southern Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA); and
5. He was a member of the Pan-African Freedom Movement for East and Central Africa (PAFMECA).

Nelson Mandela led South Africa's liberation struggles. The liberation movements enabled South Africa to gain independence from the Boers apartheid regime in 1994.

1. He defended the rights of poor people, fought against black discrimination in the world, and always preached peace. He got more than 250 prizes and awards from different institutions in Africa and outside Africa for promoting peace. One of those prizes was the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, which he got before he became President of the Republic of South Africa;
2. He is known for his active participation in Africa's liberation struggles, during which he advocated the protection as well as recognition of and respect for the dignity and humanity of black people;
3. He was the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), the party that led the struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa and for full democratic independence which was attained in 1994;
4. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 by the Boers apartheid regime because of his participation in the liberation struggles. He remained in prison for 27 years until he was released in 1990. Mandela continued with the liberation struggles while in prison;
5. After being released from prison, Mandela travelled to various countries in Africa and outside Africa to mobilize international support for the struggle to liberate the black people of South Africa;
6. In spite of the severe obstacles which the apartheid regime had imposed on the activities of political parties, including the persecution of freedom fighters, Mandela succeeded in convincing South Africans to hold democratic elections in 1994. These elections were conducted after extensive negotiations between Mandela, who represented Africans and De Clerk, who was the President of the apartheid regime. Under Mandela, the African National Congress (ANC) won the election and formed the first democratic government. Mandela became president. This victory marked the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
7. He served only one term (1994-1999) and retired from the presidency in 1999; and
8. He dedicated his time to serving his fellow Africans throughout his life.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa led the struggle which helped Nigeria to gain her independence from Britain in 1960. He believed in unity among Africans as a way of liberating themselves from colonial rule.

1. He led the Nigerian liberation struggle from 1946 onwards after returning to his country from England where he had been studying. He strongly opposed the harassment and exploitation of Nigerians by the colonialists. This forced the British to change their colonial ruling system in 1946;
2. He advised the Northern Cultural Unity called Jami'yyar Mutanen Arewa (NPC) to be a politically-oriented party in order to strengthen the struggle for liberation in Nigeria. The NPC agreed and became a political party. It participated in the 1951 election campaigns. This party won three parliamentary seats in that election.
3. The victory of the NPC gave Nigerians the opportunity to participate in parliament during British colonial rule. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was appointed as Minister for Works and Transport in the British colonial government. He used that opportunity to strengthen railway and transport communications in Nigeria. In the 1957 election, the NPC won more seats and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was appointed as Prime Minister; and
4. He encouraged other Nigerian liberation parties to unite so that they could be a stronger and unified force. Thus, in 1957 the NPC party and the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) united. Their union helped Nigeria to achieve her independence in October 1960.

1. He participated in the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963; and
2. He urged the Commonwealth to expel South Africa from the cooperation in 1961 because of its apartheid policies which discriminated Africans in South Africa.

Patrice Lumumba was a leader of the Republic of Congo, which is now called the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He led the liberation struggles that enabled the Belgian Congo to gain her independence from Belgium in 1960.

After the independence of the Belgian Congo, Patrice Lumumba lasted for ten months as the country's Prime Minister. He was assassinated in 1961. However, he has been a memorable hero in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Africa more generally. He is recognized as a patriotic leader who fought for the rights of his people and for full independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

1. He was a politician and a revolutionary leader who led the liberation struggles in the Belgian Congo. In 1958, he was one of the founders of the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), the party which led the liberation struggles and which enabled the Belgian Congo to get her independence in June 1960;
2. He was one of Africa's revolutionary activists. He participated in the First All African People's Congress, which was held in Accra, Ghana, in 1958. On his return to the Belgian Congo, he organized the movement for his country's liberation;
3. He led the strong liberation movement in the Belgian Congo. The movements led to his arrest and imprisonment by the Belgian colonial government in 1959. While in prison, he continued with the liberation struggles and his party became more powerful. This forced the Belgians to call MNC leaders for negotiations. In recognition of his contribution, his fellow leaders demanded his release. He was finally released and sent to Brussels, Belgium, to negotiate for the independence of the Belgian Congo. The negotiations led to the holding of the first general elections in June 1960. The MNC got a landslide victory. His political opponent Joseph Kasavubu, who was the favourite of the Belgian colonial administration, lost the election;
4. Patrice Lumumba was elected as Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo as soon as his party won most of the parliamentary seats in the June 1960 election. The Belgians and Western capitalist nations feared Lumumba because of his political stand. The Belgians feared that Lumumba might drive them out of the Belgian Congo. The Western capitalist nations feared that Lumumba would turn the country into a communist state;
5. As Prime Minister, Lumumba expelled the Belgians from the Republic of Congo soon after independence. The Belgians did not leave the country. They fled to the Katanga province, which was rich in copper;
6. Lumumba found himself in conflict with the Belgians as he fought to liberate the Katanga region. His efforts to seek help from the Western capitalist countries so that he could drive the Belgians out of Katanga failed. Thus, he asked for help from China and the Soviet Union;
7. The United Nations declared Joseph Kasavubu President of the Republic of Congo, although he had lost the election to Lumumba;
   • Lumumba did not give up. He decided to flee to the Kasai area, which was his political stronghold;
8. Because of his patriotism and commitment to defend the interests of the Republic of Congo, Lumumba was assassinated in 1961. It is claimed that the Belgians and Americans planned and facilitated his assassination; and
9. People still remember Lumumba's commitment to the fight for his country's real political power in the interest of the citizens of the Congo. These memories are strengthened by the fact that it has been difficult for the citizens of the DRC to enjoy the country's abundant natural resources due to continued neo colonial operations in the country.

Kamuzu Banda was a leader of Malawi. He led the political movements that enabled Malawi to achieve her independence from Britain in 1964. They became a republic in 1966. Kamuzu Banda studied medicine in Britain. He led Malawi as Prime Minister in 1964 and as President between 1966 and 1994.

Below are the reasons for Kamuzu Banda being regarded as a hero in Malawi and Africa:

1. He participated in the Pan-African Congress held in Manchester in 1945. He participated in the conference as a representative of the Nyasaland area (Malawi). The Congress discussed and deliberated on the liberation of black people in the world and the struggle for the independence of African colonies;
2. He encouraged African revolutionary activists to continue the liberation struggle against colonialism. He was one of the participants of the First All African People's Congress, which was held in Accra, Ghana, in 1958. At the conference, he was persuaded to go back home and continue with the liberation struggles for the independence of Nyasaland;
3. He was elected as leader of the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) party soon after he returned to his country. NAC was the strongest and most popular political party in Nyasaland;
4. He strongly opposed the Federation of Central Africa, which consisted of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He saw that Southern Rhodesia settlers used the Federation to perpetuate the exploitation and oppression of Africans;
5. He mobilized a strong liberation struggle in Malawi that forced the British colonial government to declare a state of emergency. He was, therefore, arrested and jailed for 11 months in 1959. NAC was also banned in Nyasaland;
6. Inspired by his political activism, some of the Malawians established a new political party known as Malawi Congress Party (MCP). They elected Banda as chairperson of the party even though he was still in prison;
7. As the political pressure from Malawians increased, the British agreed to release Banda from prison. Banda was asked to go to London to discuss the possibility of Nyasaland being granted independence. The negotiations enabled MCP to participate in and win the 1961 election. This victory earned Banda the position of the Minister for Land and Local Government in the colonial government. In 1963, Banda became Prime Minister and Malawi achieved her independence in 1964.

Samora Machel was the leader of the armed liberation struggle in Mozambique. The struggle enabled the country to gain full independence from Portugal in 1975. Samora Machel was the first President of independent Mozambique, and he led the nation from 1975 to 1986, when he died in a plane crash.

1. He was a prominent Mozambican freedom fighter who fought wars of liberation under the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) which enabled Mozambique to achieve her independence in 1975;
2. He began the struggles as a nurse at Lourenco Hospital, where he opposed the racial discrimination practised by the Portuguese against Africans. He fled to South Africa to escape the Portuguese who were planning to kill him. In South Africa, he joined the South African National Congress (ANC) fighters who were travelling to Tanzania. Upon his arrival in Tanzania, he re-connected with and joined the Mozambican military freedom fighters belonging to FRELIMO who were under Edward Mondlane and Joachim Chisano;
3. He is recognized as a prominent freedom fighter who actively advocated for the liberation of Mozambique, with his slogan "Aluta Continua" (meaning the struggle continues). He used the slogan to encourage and inspire the freedom fighters to liberate Mozambique from Portuguese rule;
4. He led the armed struggles which enabled Mozambique to get her independence in 1975. He continued fighting the rebel group Nacional Moçcambicana (RENAMO) led by Afonso Marceta Macacho Dhlakama, which the Boers of South Africa supported. RENAMO opposed Machel's Mozambican government; and
5. As President, Samora Machel opposed oppression and exploitation of Africans inside and outside Mozambique. Because of this situation, Samora Machel had many enemies. He was killed in an airplane crash in 1986. The plane crashed when its communication system was interfered and distorted.

Other prominent African leaders who fought for their countries' independence include the following:

1. Augustino Neto (1922-1979): He was a freedom fighter under the Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA) party. He led Angolans in the liberation war against the Portuguese until they got their independence in 1975. He also fought UNITA rebels, who were led by Jonas Savimbi.
2. Ahmed Sékou Touré (1922-1984): He led the liberation struggles in Guinea. The struggles enabled the country to gain independence from France in 1958. Guinea was the first African country under French rule to gain independence. Ahmed Sekou Toure led Guinea between 1958 and 1984. He did not want to cooperate with or to be a puppet of any foreign nations. He believed that it was better to be a poor hero than to be a rich slave. He persuaded African leaders of the French colonies to oppose French exploitation and to fight for their countries' independence. As a result, France frequently imposed economic sanctions on Guinea.
3. Ahmed Ben Bella (1916-2012): He was a freedom fighter in Algeria. He led the liberation struggles through the Front Pour the Liberation Nationale (FNL) party until Algeria defeated the French and achieved her independence in 1962. Algeria opted for an armed struggle because she was a colony with many French settlers. Ben Bella helped other countries such as Tunisia and Morocco in their struggles for independence. He led Algeria from 1963 to 1965 when he was overthrown by the army.
4. Robert Mugabe (1924-2019): He was a freedom fighter in Zimbabwe. He led an armed liberation struggle through the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) party. Through the armed struggle, the Zimbabweans defeated the white settlers who had seized political power in 1965. Therefore, Zimbabwe got her real independence in 1980. Mugabe led Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2017 when he was ousted from power by the Zimbabwean army.

The African leaders who fought for independence had the following characteristics from which the present generation can learn:

1. They were patriots who loved their countries and people. They were ready to leave their studies or jobs abroad and return to Africa to mobilize their fellow Africans to fight for their independence;
2. Most of them did not betray their fellow citizens to get some money or did not misuse power. As a result, some of them were overthrown by puppet leaders or even killed when they refused to betray their citizens;
3. They sacrificed their lives and used their time to mobilize Africans in the struggle for the independence of their countries and of other African countries;
4. They volunteered to support the struggles for their countries' independence and the independence of other countries, regardless of the obstacles and threats. They did not fear even when they saw their fellow fighters being imprisoned and killed by colonialists;
5. They supported other African countries to gain independence in spite of the economic obstacles and sanctions they faced from the Western capitalist nations;
6. They sought to achieve complete independence for their countries and to end colonial exploitation and harassment of their fellow Africans; and
7. They preferred using peaceful means in fighting for their rights and only used arms as a last resort.