Why? Let us sue why:  since when in our land, was forced
labour v/hich made our many people suffer so, been brought
to an end? Since v/hen, in our land, were schools started,
open to the children of Africans?  Since v/hen, in,our land
have people been vaccinated against desease?  Since when,
in our land has the power of companies like SAC-AL v/hich
used to rob the people, been ended? Since v/hen, in our
land, the palmatorias, nChefes de posto" and all those
things which served to.oppress, imprison and torture the
people, since when has'an end been put to all these?
Since when in our land have peasants been helped to form
co-operatives v/here they work freely, without being exploited, where they are helped to produce more and better
crops for the people!s own benefit? Since when has there
been any commerce in our land which did not serve to rob
and deceive people?
All this happened and much more will follow, because v/e
are fighting because v/e are defeating the colonial army, because we are destroying the machinery of oppression, v/hich
is the Colonialist State, because we are crushing the power
of the big companies, of the rich, of all those who lived off
the work of the people*  All this has come about because we
are fighting, because v/e are creating a people!s power.
We still have difficulties to face, colonialist planes
come to bomb our shambas, our townships, our schools, our
hospitals.  Tho Colonialists want to sabotage our economy
and to do this try to destroy commerce *  This is why v/e
are often without soap, Without matches, v/ithout clothes and
many other things,     . -, .
But, comrades, we. must always remember that these
difficulties are slight in comparison v/ith what v/e were
suffering before.  We must remember that bur brothers who
are living in the zones still ruled by the colonialists,
are suffering the exploitation of the big companies, are
humiliated by the settlers, are imprisoned, sold and
tortured*  This is the truth.  Ii a man v/ho has no house
and sleeps out in the rain later starts to build a house and
one day, v/hen the walls are beginning to go up, astranger
passes by he will say:  look, that man.doesnVt have a house.
But the truth is that, although chat man now doesnlt have a
house, he will have one,' because he is building it and the
house is half finished.  The house v/e are building is the
INDEPENDENCE of our country.  This house is not yet finished;
it is incomplete because only a part of Mozambique has been
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