Social movements of the 21st century and a question of political mandate: the case of Movement for Democratic Change - MDC (Zimbabwe) and Congress of the People – COPE (Azania / South Africa).

Abstract

Political scene in Africa and in the Southern region of this continent in particular has been dominating media that attempts to fulfil its mandate to inform the nation as it exposes the nature of political squabbling that are taking place currently in the countries where Movement for Democratic Change - MDC and Congress of the People - COPE as social movements are formed. This article will look at some commonalities and concerns that surrounding MDC and COPE. It will also attempt to unpack some of their mandate based on their general articulation of their political agenda. However, these social movements under scrutiny are formed in ‘different’ countries in the same region at different times. In this case they were formed after the “attainment of liberation” song that is normally sung by many that normally thought they are free from their colonialist forces. However, in reality such liberations tends to be a fallacy in terms of the demeaning social settings in which the previously dispossessed black African majority are still exposed into and remains a wishful thinking.