US$50m boost for liberation movements’ school of ideology

Source: US$50m boost for liberation movements’ school of ideology | The Herald July 10, 2019

Cde Mpofu

Joseph Madzimure and Wallace Ruzvidzo
THE Chinese government has availed a US$50 million grant for the construction of Julius Nyerere School of Ideology in Tanzania as the headquarters of former liberation movements in Africa, Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Obert Mpofu has revealed.

The development comes as six revolutionary parties in Africa are introducing schools of ideology in their respective countries to equip the younger generation and party members with the history of their countries in line with their political ideologies

The six liberation movement parties are Tanzania’s Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) of Namibia, the Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO).

A colourful ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the school was held recently in Kibaha, Coastal Region, near Dar es Salaam.

“I was in Tanzania for the ground-breaking ceremony of the headquarters, as you are aware Zanu-PF is also a former liberation movement party.

“The Chinese government has given us a grant of about US$50 million to build a school of ideology headquarters in Tanzania belonging to all the frontline former liberation movements.

“I actually went there together with my colleagues to do the ground-breaking ceremony,” said Cde Mpofu.

Zanu-PF has appointed board members who will represent the party at the headquarters.

“Each revolutionary, party will be represented at the headquarters.

“We have identified members of the board to that project and we will also be sending instructors to be part of that, but right now the project is being constructed, it’s a massive project at Kibaha outside Dar es Salaam in Tanzania,” he said.

The party has seconded Cde Munyaradzi Machacha, who sits in the Politburo by virtue of being the principal at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology and the commissariat department director Cde Roger Magumise to be on the board.

“We are currently preparing more names to be part of this administration. Just recently, we had also been invited to South Africa to the launch of their school of ideology, the Oliver Tambo School of Thought.

“On our part as Zanu-PF, we have got Chitepo School of Ideology whose construction is being planned, we are going to have a serious academy and all these will feed into the Julius Nyerere School of Ideology because we feel some of the young people are losing direction when it comes to the party principles and ethos,” Cde Mpofu said.

In a related development, Cde Mpofu said Zanu-PF will host the former liberation movements in September this year.

“These are annual events by former liberation movements and the last host was Namibia and we are going to host this year and His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) sent me to Namibia last week to go and do a handover, takeover since we are hosting,” he said.