adminIC: Fifty years is such a long time and the road has not been easy. It was tough and difficult in the beginning, but as you grow up you learn. Frelimo has been marked by two main phases. The first one is that of our founding leader Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane and after Independence in 1975, president Samora Moises Machel. In Mozambique we have three generations — the September 25, the generation of March 8 and the “New Generation”.
The September 25 generation represents those heroes who fought the war to give us liberation. (September 25, 1964 marked the beginning of the liberation war as Frelimo soldiers, led by Mondlane attacked the administrative post at Chai).
The early leaders had one idea — to liberate Mozambique and even the region because we are brothers and sisters. The border between us came about at the Berlin Conference otherwise we are one nation and one people. March 8 represents post independence. At independence our first president went on to recruit young and educated people to fill places in government. Others went to be taught to be teachers so that they could serve the country. The New Generation — like us — we are trying to keep our country and consolidate the independence of the country.
We do not want anyone coming from outside to try and re-conquer us. The new generation is the one that is fighting poverty and getting people involved and fulfill the one objective to have our own educated people to lead us. We do not want someone from outside to lead us, we want to be in front. As our September 25 generation showed us the way, we are not going back but going further.
TZ: In the fifty years, what are Frelimo’s success stories? Liberation parties have been accused of not fulfilling the promises they made to the people before they came to power.
IC: We are happy that we have remained committed to our struggle of fighting poverty among our people. One objective we have achieved is the provision of education free of charge to our people from primary school. Mozambicans pay from secondary school level to university. We want to produce our own engineers, doctors, agriculturalists and other professionals rather than wait for outsiders. We have made great strides in the provision of health care as our people also access primary health care for free. Our target is to fulfill all promises we made to the people.
We promised roads to rural areas and they are there. We promised electricity to the homes and now if you go to Mozambique there is electricity even in rural areas. We promised bridges and built the bridges for our people. We are also helping Mozambican people by providing farmers with agricultural inputs.
Our government gives people seed money to start their businesses which they must return so that it can be given to other people to start their own businesses, too.
TZ: What are the secrets to the party’s success and its longevity?
IC: When our leaders formed the party on June 25, 1962 they emphasised on unity. This is not easy at all times, but if you have unity and understanding among each other you will go far.
It is like marrying each other to make a home. Sometimes you may fight, but we have some mechanisms to solve the problems. One of the greatest secrets is listening to the people. Frelimo is the people. It is not an individual thing. The voice of the people is what we listen to. Before campaigning we listen to them and give them the choice. They will tell us whether we are right or wrong. From then we know where we are going wrong and what we are doing right. Up-to-date we still listen to the people. If you tell me something and more people say the same thing, then I will know what the people want and act accordingly.
TZ: And the setbacks?
IC: After independence we suffered a lot. We devoted our resources and country to freeing other people in the region.
It was the objective of Mozambique to see the freedom of such countries as Zimbabwe. Samora Machel closed the border with Ian Smith so that he could concentrate on the liberation of Zimbabwe.
The biggest setback we suffered as a country was the death of our leader Samora Moises Machel. This was not only a big loss to Mozambique, but also to other countries in Africa. Machel was a man of the people and a man for Africa.
His philosophy was that Mozambique could not be truly free when its neighbours were still under colonialism. When we attained our independence it did not stop him from fighting for the people of Africa. Our hearts still bleed over the loss. In Mozambique he is still alive and his teachings are still alive and you can hear children as young as six years talking about Samora. He was such a great leader. But Mozambique did not end as we continued with the struggle he led. We have also had problems with Renamo. There is a problem when people want to go for easy money and end up selling family silver. You should work hard to earn a living.
In Zimbabwe if you do not wake up you may end up in deeper crisis. We should choose our leaders wisely and should not be tempted by easy things, which will see us losing in the end.
TZ: Will the mystery of his death ever be solved?
IC: The truth will always come out and you do not need a lawyer to speak the truth. It will always come out and what goes around comes around. Maybe one day we will hear the full story of what happened really on that day. Or perhaps it was just an accident, which could happen to anybody. When a man dies there are always stories and people narrate in their own ways.
TZ: How do Mozambicans and Frelimo remember his leadership and that of Cde Eduardo Mondlane and other pioneers of the Mozambican struggle?
IC: We have the Heroes Day celebrated annually in February where we honour the likes of the first president of Frelimo, Cde Mondlane. We also recognise the efforts of other leaders who have come through. For example, Cde Joachim Chissano is the honorary president of our party.
We celebrate the lives of all the three generations in Frelimo. As we say in the party, “Three Generations, One Nation; One People.”
TZ: What kind of relationship does Frelimo have with other liberation movements in the region?
IC: We feel the same. We exchange notes and share ideas. We give advice and it is up to you to see whether those ideas work or not. We have no problems. Sometimes we feel there are no borders and we are one people. With Zimbabwe we share a 1 200 kilometre border from Mukumbura to Chicualacuala. We have a lot in common and even at political level this kind of relationship is evident.
TZ: Do you see Frelimo surviving for another 50 or more years to come?
IC: It is very easy. I never participated in the liberation war, but Frelimo is in my blood. Frelimo has been carried over from our elders and the party has infused new blood to ensure continuity. At the moment the national commissar is a young man, the foreign affairs secretary is also young.
Frelimo is a mixture of the young and the old. The young are taking over and our elders are there to guide us. If you cannot teach your child, who will teach them? We are taught to work hard and not to sleep. It is important not to sleep when the enemy is devising all sorts of mechanisms to defeat you. If you do not teach your children these things they will do otherwise.
Online Reporter