By Jacob Mutisi-An increasing number of African freedom fighters are passing away in foreign lands, far from the countries they once risked everything to liberate from colonial domination.

Men and women who fought valiantly for their independence now draw their last breaths in quiet corners of London, Paris, Washington and other former imperial capitals.

Many of their descendants no longer hold African passports, instead, they possess the citizenship of the very nations their forebears battled against. This contradiction raises the question! Were Africa’s liberation wars a betrayal, a fraud or merely a deferred dream?

This is no mere rhetorical flourish, it strikes deep at the heart of the African experience. Why did so many take up arms against colonialism only for their descendants to voluntarily return to the colonial powers, lured by the promise of a better life?

At the core of these lies an irony too painful to overlook. Africa’s liberation movements were characterised by unimaginable sacrifice and courage. Heroes emerged from the struggle figures like Ndabaningi Sithole, Samora Machel, Amílcar Cabral, Joshua Nkomo, Patrice Lumumba and Nelson Mandela, who inspired a continent to believe in freedom, dignity and self-governance.

However, independence has often given way to disillusionment. Corruption infiltrated the corridors of post-colonial power, with liberation movements transforming into ruling parties that frequently prioritised power over the populace. Nepotism supplanted meritocracy. Today, many African governments grapple with providing reliable services, upholding the rule of law and offering citizens genuine opportunities for economic and social advancement.

In the void created by these failures, foreign countries, particularly former colonial powers, have become attractive destinations for Africa’s disillusioned. They proffer better education, employment prospects, functioning institutions and, crucially, a sense of order and opportunity. The result has been a relentless outflow of talent and ambition.

According to a recent article by RFI, nearly 60% of African youth express a desire to emigrate, largely due to corruption. The 2024 African Youth Survey, conducted by the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, revealed that young people aged 18 to 24 across 16 countries cited corruption as their primary reason for wanting to leave.

This is not a repudiation of African culture or identity, rather, it is a powerful indictment of governance. Young people are not turning their backs on their ancestors, they are rejecting leaders who have failed to fulfil the promise of independence. For them, liberation has not ushered in liberty, nor has freedom guaranteed opportunity.

It is particularly telling that the children and grandchildren of liberation icons are among those who have departed. Many now reside in the West , in Britain, France, Canada or the United States. Some have carved out successful careers in politics, academia, business or the arts. Their lives, though often distinguished, are lived far from the rural villages, dusty townships or bustling African cities that their forebears once called home.

This is not merely a matter of personal choice, it reflects a calculated decision to dissociate from systems widely perceived as broken. For many, returning home is neither safe nor feasible, while for others, there is simply nothing left to return to.

One must ask: Did Africa win the war only to lose the peace?

Colonialism was never solely about flags and borders, it was a complex system of domination economic, psychological and cultural. While many African nations attained political independence, they inherited colonial-era structures of governance, law and economics that were rarely dismantled, merely repurposed.

Where change did occur, instability sometimes followed. Military coups, ethnic divisions, authoritarian rule and institutional collapse have plagued many newly independent nations. While some countries have made notable progress, far too many remain ensnared in cycles of corruption and mismanagement.

It is no surprise, then, that a generation raised in so-called “liberated” Africa feels compelled to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

Many members of the African diaspora harbour dreams of returning “home.” They vow to invest, retire and contribute to their homelands. Yet, the realities on the ground, from failing infrastructure to unpredictable governance, often render these dreams impractical. The spectre of red tape, insecurity and economic instability keeps many away. Over time, what was intended as temporary exile becomes permanent residence abroad.

The consequence? African graves in London cemeteries, wreaths laid in Ottawa and Paris. Men and women who once aspired to die beneath the African sun are buried in foreign soil, their legacies reduced to hyphenated identities and nostalgia for the diaspora.

My simple question, Were the Liberation Wars a Fraud?

To pose this question is to strike a nerve. However, the honest answer is NO, the wars themselves were not fraudulent. The cause was just. The sacrifices were real. The intentions were noble.

The betrayal came after independence, not from the struggle itself, but from those who inherited its victory. Those who prioritised personal gain over public service, who treated power as a right rather than a responsibility and who turned liberation into entitlement, betraying the very ideals for which they fought.

The wars were not a fraud, but they were, in many respects, unfinished.

Africa today is rich with promise. It is youthful, vibrant and resource-rich. Yet, that promise cannot be realised through mere slogans or nostalgia. The current brain drain is unsustainable. No continent can thrive if its brightest minds, trained and inspired, feel they must leave to live with dignity.

What is now required is a second liberation, not from foreign powers, but from within. A liberation from corruption, incompetence and stagnation. A renewal of the values that fuelled the first wave of independence.

Only then can Africa genuinely fulfil the dreams of its heroes. Only then will it be a land not just of memory, but of meaning a place where the descendants of freedom fighters can return, not in exile or mourning, but in triumph and peace.

Until that day arrives, the graves of our heroes will continue to be dug in foreign lands and their children will persist in seeking freedom in the shadows of former empires.

Time for our African leaders to wake up and change the liberation direction.

Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi

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