without changing its colonial structure is a fraudulent manoeuvre. It
robs the indigenous peoples of their
basic right of self-determination,
prostitutes the function of the legislature and makes a hollow mockery
of the laws themselves. The Portuguese manoeuvre is a classic example of the colonialist technique at
its worst.
AFRICA FOR AFRICANS
Mozambique, is an integral part
of Africa which is not an extension
of Europe or of any part of it. This
juridical device designed to turn
Portugal, into an "Eurafrican" power cannot change the attitude of
African nationalists that Mozambique is for the Africans and Portugal for the Portuguese.
Portugal is Britain's "oldest ally".
Britain has vested strategic interests
in Portuguese colonies especially in
Beira in Mozambique. Portugal is a
member of NATO—the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Her
colonies are therefore at the disposal
of NATO.    .
NATO is today building a military base in Beira and Several others
in centres such as Tete, Nacala and
Nampula.
However anti-democratic, anti-
liberal, anti-parliamentarian and
anti-African freedom Salazar mav
be he knows he can always count
upon the support of the NATO
imperialist powers .And who therefore, can call her power to account?
What has been the people's reaction to all these onslaughts on the
basic rights and fundamental freedoms?
"Nationalism on an organised
basis does not exist as yet in Portuguese Africa" wrote John Gun-
ther during his 1953 tour of Mozambique.
"The people are taught that they
are Portuguese, so that a revolt
would be a revolt against themselves."
In the hope of perpetuating Po-
tuguese colonialism in Mozambique
the Portuguese deliberately starve
the African people of all education.
As far back as 1953 Mozambique
Africans smuggled a petition out of
Mozambique. The petition which
was signed by 594 Africans complained, inter alia, about the wanton brutal flogging of men impressed into die labour gangs.
Immediately after Sir Roy Welensky had in 1959 imposed a state
of emergency over the Central African Federation of Nyasaland, Southern and Northern Rhodesia, Dr.
Salazar posted over 5,000 troops
along the 1,800 mile long frontier
to patrol it and shoot at sight any
African political refugee found in
Mozambique. Thc Salazar thugs
shot many innocent Africans with
impunity.
Early in 1960 Salazar increased
his armed thugs to 9,000 excluding
the local militia and his Gestapo
known as the "PIDE-Policia Inter-
nationacional de Defesa do Estado."
The PIDE spread the network of
its activities and clamped down on
the frontier villages and towns.
On the June 16, 1960 Kibiriti Diwani, Faustino Banomba and Ma-
desta Yosuf (a 21 year old African
woman) handed the Administrator
of the Niassa region a letter protesting against the savage thuggery of
the Salazar storm troopers. The
three had been eye-witnesses to the
unprovoked massacre of the villagers of Mueda-Makondes.
The protest was directed against
the massacre of 36 Africans and the
wounding of 150, all of whom had
been engaged in peaceful demonstrations when the trigger—happy
blood-thirsty Salazar thugs swooped
upon therm
Salazaris mock courts of justice
sentenced 250 demonstrators to
terms of imprisonment raging from
2 to 7 years.
For their pains in presenting die
letter of protest Diwani, Banomba,
and Yosuf were jailed for life.
A typical Portuguese colonialist
fashion 'the three were all sent to
an undisclosed destination. And
that was that.
Chief Zintambira Chicuse and
his followers had been detained
since 1955. The Portuguese shot
them dead in cold blood at Lourenco Marques in May, 1961.
During the same month fifteen
forced labourers were shot dead at
Milange for the crime of demanding increased pay.
In April 1961, Commandant
Pedro Corria de Barros, told a
crowd of 100,000 Portuguese settlers who had marched on thc American Embassy in Lourenco Marques that he condemned the American vote in the United Nations
favouring un inquiry into conditions
in Portuguese Angola. Mozambique
had to ward off The anti-colonialist
blow even before it was directly
aimed at her.
In May 1961, as the Angolan
nationalist struggle gained momentum Porugucso set Lircd into
Umtali in Southern Rhodesia to buy
firearms and ammunition. Within
four days 140 permits had already
been issued to these settlers and
long queues waited for their permits.
As a result of new "arrangements"
Portuguese settlers can now buy.
their guns and ammunition in settler Central Africa without any pe
mits.
ATROCITIES
m
The 2,037 ton Potuguese liner
Shil Save went aground in July at
the mouth of the river Tinde. The
550 passengers on board were 500
Africans troops with 50 Portuguese
officers making for the Tanganyika
frontier.
In July 1961, Jacobus Fouche
War Minister of settlers South Afri-
can Republic visited the senile
Salazar in Portugal to form a secret
pact for die launching of a counterrevolutionary offensive against the
African peoples of Mozambique
and South Africa.
Terence Daly, South African settler parachutist arrived in Lourenco Marque in August 1961 to give
lessons and training to Asians, Mo-
lattos and Assimilated Africans.
The Portuguese have also entered into a secret military pact with
the racist "government' of Rhodesia.
Portuguese militia in Mozambique is made up of settlers. Mulattos.
These make up the shock troops
deployed against the African masses
employed in the mines, on thc farms
and on the cotton, sugar and sisa!
plantations.
According to Portuguese official
records 428,000 Mozambicans have
migrated from the territory. African
DECEMBER, 1964
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