The liberation lens: revolutionary rhetoric in Southern Africa

Hoog, T.A. van der (2025)

Article / Letter to editor

This article examines the revolutionary rhetoric that pervades contemporary
Southern African politics. As the majority of governments in Southern African
states continue to be dominated by former national liberation movements, contemporary
political discourse is profoundly shaped by the experiences of exile and war.
Building upon the rich literature on memorial politics, this article develops the concept
of the “liberation lens” to analyze how African political elites repurpose the historically
infused language of the liberation struggle to address present-day political issues. As
the liberation lens is transferred from generation to generation, it is a revealing example
of conflict continuity.

• Conflict continuity
• Decolonization
• National liberation movements
• Political culture
• Revolution
• Rhetoric
• Southern Africa

• All authors: Hoog, T.A. van der
• Date: 2025
• Journal: Conflict and Society. Advances in Research
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 114 - 130