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The liberation movements of Southern Africa arose to combat racism, colonialism and settler capitalism and engaged in armed struggle to establish democracy. After victory over colonial and white minority regimes, they moved into government embodying the hopes and aspirations of their mass of supporters and of widespread international solidarity movements. Even with the difficult legacies they inherited, their performance in power has been deeply disappointing. Roger Southall tracks the experiences in government of ZANU-PF, SWAPO and the ANC, arguing that such movements are characterised by paradoxical qualities, both emancipatory and authoritarian. Analysis is offered of their evolution into political machines through comparative review of their electoral performance, their relation to state and society, their policies regarding economic transformation, and their evolution as vehicles of class formation and predatory behaviour. The author concludes that, while they will survive organizationally, their essence as progressive forces is dying, and that hopes of a genuine liberation throughout the region will depend upon political realignments alongside moral and intellectual regeneration. ANC South Africa. SWAPO Namibia. Zanu-PF Zimbabwe. Roger Southall is Professor Emeritus in Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand and a Research Associate of the Society, Work and Development Institute. Southern Africa: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press

National liberation movements --- Africa, Southern --- Southern Africa --- Politics and government --- ZANU-PF (Organization : Zimbabwe) --- SWAPO. --- African National Congress. --- Zimbabwe --- Namibia --- South Africa --- African National Congress of South Africa --- African National Congress (South Africa) --- Afrikanskiĭ nat︠s︡ionalʹnyĭ kongress --- ANC --- ANC(SA) --- Ḳongres ha-leʼumi ha-Afriḳani --- South African National Congress --- קונגרס הלאומי האפריקני --- Pan Africanist Congress --- South African Native National Congress --- S.W.A.P.O. --- South West African Peoples Organisation --- Ovambo People's Organisation --- South West Africa People's Organisation of Namibia --- South West African People's Organization --- South West Africa People's Organisation --- SWAPO of Namibia --- SWAPO Party --- Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front --- Zimbabwe African National Union --- Zimbabwe African People's Union --- ANC. --- African studies. --- Liberation movements. --- Nelson Mandela. --- South Africa. --- ZANU-PF. --- anthropology. --- apartheid. --- class formation. --- colonialism. --- democracy. --- demoocracy. --- government. --- liberation. --- political parties. --- political realignments. --- politics. --- postcolonialism. --- racism. --- regional politics. --- settler capitalism. --- sociology.