24/08/2026
Am I a communist or merely as a political label? But as an expression of what I believe about society, equality, and the distribution of power and resources.
Yet to be a communist in an African context is to understand that our realities are different. We must think beyond imported doctrines and ask what equality, solidarity, dignity, and collective ownership mean within our own history, cultures, economies, and struggles.
For me, communism is not about blindly copying another society. It is about questioning a system where a few can accumulate enormous wealth while many struggle for the basic necessities of life. It is about imagining an Africa where human dignity is placed above profit, where resources serve the people, and where development is measured not merely by the wealth of the powerful, but by the wellbeing of the ordinary citizen.
I believe ideology must serve humanity. In the African setting, therefore, communism must be thoughtful, democratic, and rooted in our own realities.
Dr Fred M'membe.
Socialist party Zambia.
