Samora Machel: an African Hero!

Samora Machel: an African Hero!

Samora Machel was the first President of Mozambique. He was killed on October 19, 1986 when his plane crashed after it was lured into hills inside South Africa by the apartheid government. The South African government denied any involvement in the crash, but a report by the Mozambique government blamed South Africa for the airplane crash. Machel had close ties to Tanzania. Mozambicans found a safe haven in Tanzania during the colonial period. Tanzania welcomed Mozambican freedom fighters and supported their struggle for independence. Constant in-fighting between the different groups based in Tanzania (then Tanganyika) finally prompted Nyerere to force Mozambican leaders to meet at Arnatouglo Hall in Dar es Salaam to iron out their differences in June of 1962. Nyerere threatened to throw them out of the country if they did not unite and form a single group. Thus on June 25, 1962, MANU, UDENAMO, and UNAMI came together to form FRELIMO under pressure from Nyerere. Eduardo Mondlane became the leader of the new group.

A 29 year old Samora Machel was among FRELIMO’s early recruits. His journey to Tanzania was a long one; he escaped Mozambique to Swaziland, and eventually, ended up in Botswana. From Botswana, Machel managed to get on a plane that brought ANC recruits to Tanzania. Machel was among a group of Mozambicans who flew from Dar es Salaam to receive military training in Algeria in 1963. He was given the task of heading the training of FRELIMO cadets at Kongwa. In addition to Kongwa, FRELIMO was also given land in Bagamoyo to establish a camp. Machel spent most of the next 10 years between Tanzania and Mozambique. He became the head of FRELIMO army in 1966 after the death of Filipe Magaia. Mondlane was assassinated in Dar es Salaam by the Portuguese using a bomb placed inside a letter in 1969; Machel became the leader of FRELIMO after the assassination of Mondlane. FRELIMO headquarters was moved to Nachingwea in southern Tanzania in order to be closer to the battlefront.

I remember vividly the day Machel died in 1986. It appeared like all of Tanzania had come to a standstill. Tanzanians were glued to the radio listening to the latest news. It was one of the few times that Nyerere cried publicly. Nyerere broke down at Machel's funeral and embraced his widow, Graca Machel. It was a moving scene and a memorable one for me as a young boy attending first grade at Mlimani.

You see, I grew up hearing stories about FRELIMO and Machel. Samora Machel was my grandfather’s neighbor in Chang’ombe, then in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. Machel moved closer to the frontlines, and eventually, Mozambique when FRELIMO defeated the Portuguese. My grandfather managed to buy a 1968 Peugeot 404 pickup from FRELIMO; it was one of the vehicles that Machel used to travel around the city when he was in Dar es Salaam.

I recall growing up playing in that old Peugeot 404, unaware of its historical significance. The windows were broken, it had no wheels, and was on top of bricks; it was slowly rusting away into oblivion. I never asked my father what happened to that vehicle. It is only now that I lament at the lack of historical awareness, at ignorance that has led many of us to destroy important historical treasures. The way we treated that old Peugeot 404 is not different from the way we treat our history. Tanzania made significant contributions to the liberation of Mozambique; yet few are aware of the great sacrifice made by a young country with few resources. Even fewer take the time to preserve the files that tell us this story, the buildings that housed Mozambican freedom fighters in Chang’ombe, Bagamoyo, and Nachingwea. But it is ultimately with the 1968 Peugeot 404 that I must go back to in order to illustrate an important point; what would that treasure be worth today had we kept it up, maintained it? The answer is simple: priceless! For you cannot put a price tag on such important historical treasure. And as for Machel, Tanzania and Mozambique will never be the same because of him. Generations of Mozambicans will continue to enjoy freedom because of the great sacrifices he made

© Azaria Mbughuni