The article examines the distinctive ideological character of Southern African national liberation, compared with earlier African nationalism. The case study is the Political Programme of Namibia's liberation movement, SWAPO. Its theme is to differentiate national (political independence, national unity, egalitarianism) from liberation goals (social emancipation, mobilisation, self reliance). This distinction is vital in terms of determining the character of post‐colonial restructuring in an independent African state.