Samora Machel Remembered!

Samora Machel

By Arthur Chatora

29 years ago, Africa lost one of its most celebrated liberation heroes and revolutionary leader, Samora Moisés Machel who perished in a fatal plane crash in 1986.

Affectionately referred to as “President Samora”, Machel was a freedom fighter and socialist revolutionary leader of the Mozambican liberation movement FRELIMO and the country’s first president. He dedicated his life to fighting colonialism, exploitation and injustices.

We celebrate the legacy of one of Africa’s founding heroes and remember the words he left us with in his quest to see the liberation and development of Africa.

1. “The rich man’s dog gets more in the way of vaccination, medicine and medical care than do the workers upon whom the rich man’s wealth is built”.

2. “The Emancipation of women 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, a guarantee of its continuity and a precondition for its victory.” Speech delivered in 1973.

3. “Personalities and fame pass; the revolution must remain”.

4. “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.”

5. There is no place for White racism, as there is no place for Black racism, because racism, racism, in its essence, in its essence racism is an organised attitude, a reactionary attitude”. Beira speech, 14 June 1975. Translated from Portuguese by Colin Darch and David Hedges.

6. “All races, all peoples in the world want liberty, want independence”. Beira speech, 14 June 1975. Translated from Portuguese by Colin Darch and David Hedges.

7. “To ensure national unity, there must be no Shonas in Zimbabwe, there must be no Ndebeles in Zimbabwe, there must be Zimbabweans. Some people are proud of their tribalism. But we call tribalists reactionary agents of the enemy”. Speech delivered in Harare, Zimbabwe, 1980.

8. “The state must be the first to be organized and totally committed to serving the interests of the people”. Speech given in Maputo, February 7, 1980.

9. “It is essential to link enterprises on the basis of objective laws of a socialist economy and legal system”.

10. “Salaries and wages must reflect the reality of the enterprise’s economic performance; deviations from the planned performance should be reflected in pay”.