Political populism is anything but new. Nor are its various shapes peculiar to certain regions or cultures.
Take former liberation movements in southern Africa, for example. They reflect the diversity of populist regimes spanning over several decades. This is evident in Zimbabwe under the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU-PF) since 1980, Namibia under the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) since 1990 and South Africa under the African National Congress (ANC) since 1994.
The heroic narratives of liberation gospels were born in historical processes expected to achieve emancipation. Post liberation, these processes elevated the anti-colonial movements into governments in firm social control.