ABSTRACT
This special issue of the Journal of Contemporary African Studies, titled Legacies of Liberation: Postcolonial Struggles for a Democratic Southern Africa, seeks to explore the ongoing struggle for legitimate, accountable political leaders in post-colonial contexts where ex-liberation movements form the governments. The first two articles, by Teresa Debly and David Moore, investigate one of the main subthemes, the struggle for liberation and political transformation, in Swaziland and Zimbabwe, respectively. Three articles highlight the nature of rule in states headed by former liberation movements – all of which are now one-party dominant states – Leander Schneider on Tanzania, Roger Southall on South Africa and Linda Freeman on Zimbabwe. The issue concludes with two articles that use specific examples to highlight the processes of governance and resistance in post-liberation contexts, with Grace-Edward Galabuzi on the privatisation of Zambia’s mines and Richard Saunders on blood diamonds in Zimbabwe.
