Samora Machel 19 - 10 - 06

Comrade Samora Machel

The Congress of South African Trade Unions pays tribute to the memory of one of Africa’s greatest sons - Mozambican President Samora Moises Machel, exactly 20 years since the day when he met his tragic death in a plane crash near Mbuzini – 19 October 1986.

Samora Machel, a nurse by profession, was the military commander of Mozambique’s liberation movement, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), and then took over its leadership, after its founding President, Eduardo Mondlane was killed by a parcel bomb in Tanzania in 1969. He then became the first president of independent Mozambique in 1975.

He transformed FRELIMO into a fighting anti-imperialist weapon, guided by Marxism-Leninism. Two of his profound quotations still inspire many of us today.

“The emancipation of women,” he said, “is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, the guarantee of its continuity and the precondition for its victory. The main objective of the revolution is to destroy the system of exploitation and build a new society which releases the potentialities of human beings…This is the context within which women’s emancipation arises”

His second outstanding quotation was that “International solidarity is not an act of charity. It is an act of unity between allies fighting on different terrains toward the same objective. The foremost of these objectives is to aid the development of humanity to the highest level possible”.

He realised that Mozambique's independence and victory over the forces of Portuguese colonialism were in danger unless all the liberation movements acted together to liquidate the forces of imperialism in general, with apartheid South Africa as the key target. At the time of this death he was coming from a meeting in Lusaka, at which he unveiled a plan to step up support for the ANC and the struggle against apartheid.

His death remains a mystery, with all sorts of speculation about the cause, but most liberation activists never doubted, and still do not doubt, the role of the forces of apartheid South Africa in this tragedy.

A monument to this great son of Africa has been erected at the site of his death in Mbuzini, which is brings back vivid memories of that period.

He is amongst Africa's best struggle heroes: Sekou Toure, Ben Bella, Didan Kimati, Hebert Chitepo, Patrice Lumumba, Chris Hani, Oliver Tambo, Thomas Sankara, Aughostino Neto, etc.

Long live the fighting spirit of this true African revolutionary patriot and revolutionary!