SPEECH BY PREMIER THABANG MAKWETLA AT THE COMMEMORATION OF THE EIGHTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT SAMORA MACHEL
Mbuzini, 19 October 2004
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
We are gathered here today to commemorate the loss of a universal hero, people's leader, a son of Mozambican people and indeed a son of Africa a - President Samora Moises Machel. It was on this hillside eighteen years ago when those who were desperately fighting to preserve the last outpost of colonialism and white privilege, committed the most heinous act of state terrorism under apartheid, by cold-bloodedly assassinating the irrepressible legendary freedom fighter, Samora Machel and four of his colleagues and comrades.
The shock and pain of that fateful night are still with us. In disbelief we watched and listened how apartheid's propaganda machinery went into overdrive trying to blame the cold-blooded murder of our leader and his colleagues on “human error”. We may never know the full extend of the involvement of the leaders of the apartheid regime, but what we know for sure is that President Machel and his entourage were murdered in the most brutal manner.
Today as we dip the revolutionary banner in their memory and honour, we realise that the tragedy that befell the people of Mozambique, South Africa, and Africa and beyond was the last kicks of a dying regime. This is evidenced by the fact that today we are able to celebrate - on the soil of a liberated South Africa - the life and vision of a beloved revolutionary who dedicated his whole life to the freedom of us all.
And we do so aware of the fact that the suffering brought by apartheid South Africa's destablisation policy led to the deaths of more than a million people, the displacement of more than four million and the destruction of infrastructure and sabotage of development programmes in Mozambique.
President Samora Moises Machel was a leader of great revolutionary intellect and courage, a General with a good grasp of historical and unwavering commitment to freedom and justice; a visionary for whom the interdependence of the countries and peoples of our region meant that none could enjoy freedom while some remained oppressed.
And as we pay tribute to one whose life expressed the highest ideals of internationalism and universality, we know that the best tribute that we can pay President Samora Machel and those who perished on that fateful day, is to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and disease, and to create prosperous societies whose ethos of justice and equity were the passion of President Machel's life.
It was President Machel who cemented a bond between our two peoples. We cannot but recall his words that "solidarity is not an act charity, but mutual support in pursuit of shared objectives". The relationship between the people of South Africa and the people of Mozambique dates back many decades, and runs deep. It is a relationship that was nurtured in the deep bowels of our mines and in their fight to liberate our countries from colonialists and oppressors.
As we commemorate his life, we also need to look ahead and ask ourselves what it is that President Machel would have wanted us to do to build a better Africa and a better world. What is that we can do to ensure that a relationship born out of a common yearning for freedom can at last become a partnership for peace and prosperity.
We all realise that the development and growth of the economies of South Africa and Mozambique are important to us all. Already South Africa and Mozambique are co-operating on various projects. Business to business linkages are on the increase, and we have embarked on successful joint ventures such as the Maputo Development Corridor and the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative.
This relationship needs to go far beyond. For the sake of regional development and harmony, we must extend a hand of friendship across our borders. We must break down the barriers of ignorance, prejudice and misunderstanding wherever these may occur, so that the spirit of solidarity shown to South Africans during the dark days of apartheid, continues to be carried on into the future.
As neighbours, we are bound together by a common history and by ties of culture and language. For many of our people, each other's country is a second home. For all these reasons we share beliefs and aspirations, and most importantly a commitment to freedom, justice and respect for human dignity. In pursuit of these noble ideals, Mozambique and her people made an enormous contribution to our struggle for liberation, defiant of pressure and violent attacks from a much more powerful neighbour.
Thus, in acknowledging the terrible sacrifice of Mozambicans in our long walk to freedom, we do so proud of the fact that today, South Africans and Mozambicans, as free peoples and can together build a prosperous future. South Africa and Mozambique must now pursue shared objectives as partners for peace and prosperity. In the Maputo Corridor that runs through not far from here, the benefits of co-operation are taking concrete shape.
Indeed President Machel helped to create a powerful engine for regional development and helped fuel the African renaissance. As we meet today at this Monument, we once again recommit ourselves to the friendship, solidarity and unity that have brought us this far. This monument is a reminder of the tragedy, but it is also a symbol of our unity and common destiny.
What is left for us to do is to roll up our sleeves, to be ready to make more sacrifices and face every challenge with great determination.
Ombregado
I thank you!