EFF statement on the 34th anniversary of the death of President Samora Machel
19 October 2020
The Economic Freedom Fighters commemorates the 34th anniversary of the death of President Samora Moises Machel, a revolutionary leader of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and the first president of independent Mozambique. With 33 others, CommandanteSamora Machel died in a mysterious air crash on this day in 1986, soon after he had convened a meeting of frontline states in Zambia, which sought to deal with political instability caused by Mobutu Sese Seko in the Congo, then called Zaire and UNITA in Angola. Both UNITA and Mobutu's regime were backed by the South African apartheid regime to destabilise the Southern African region and cut off support to liberation movements.
With Mozambique on the brink of collapse under intense Botha-Malan terrorist insurgency of RENAMO, a rebel group, on second thought President Machel wanted to freeze the Nkomati Peace Accord he had signed with South Africa in March 1984. He loved his people and pursued peace, mistakenly believing it was meant to stop Botha's support to RENAMO that was ravaging civilians in the south of the country. South Africa was not sticking to the deal and continued to support the RENAMO rebels.
President Machel led the first guerrilla attacks against the Portuguese colonial regime in 1963. His vision, bravery, and military tact led to his elevation as the Commander in Chief of FRELIMO's military wing in 1969.
He took over FRELIMO's leadership in 1970. after yet another revolutionary leader. Eduardo Mondlane, was assassinated with a letter bomb a year earlier.
Through his visionary leadership, unbending commitment to a free Africa, he intensified the struggle for Mozambique's liberation from Portugal and led the country to independence in 1975. President Machel knew that to overcome the legacy of colonialism, Mozambique's natural resources needed to be under the control of the people of Mozambique. For this reason, he nationalised the country's wealth and put the country's land under the custodianship of the State. He led a massive program of building schools and hospitals in the country because he knew that education and the provision of health were not commodities available only to those who can afford it. The country needed an educated and healthy population, and it was the State's duty to provide these services.
President Machel also knew that independence would be meaningless for the vast majority of Mozambique people if it did not entail full ownership of the land and full ownership of the country's mineral resources. He was a practical Marxist who was able to transcend theory and link his government's vision to the people of Mozambique's daily needs.
Despite the obstacles placed on his government by apartheid South Africa, President Machel was still able to provide leadership to the frontline States in fighting for the full liberation of all Southern African countries. He was instrumental in the liberation of Zimbabwe, as he was in combating UNITA.
President Machel was killed by apartheid South Africa for his undying commitment to the full freedom of all African people in the region.
Mozambique is still reeling from President Machel's death, as is the rest of the Southern African region.
We salute President Machel and vow to pick up the spear and fight for genuine decolonisation of this country and the rest of the African continent in his honour.
We call on the Southern African region's leadership to take a firm stance on the insurrection in Mozambique and not let the country President Samora Machel died for go into ruins as a result of acts of terror.
The EFF commits that its government will bring finality and closure on the inconclusive investigation of the dark forces that planned his demise.
Rest in Power Commandate Machel.
Issued by the EFF, 19 October 2020
