Speeches

On 24 February 2025, Freedom Park commemorated the Matola Raid and the Day of Friendship between Mocambique and South Africa. This is the input given by  Cde Snuki Zikalala, ANC Veterans League President at this event

I thank you for inviting me to this day of reflection. While it is unfortunate that this commemoration event is not happening in Maputo, it is befitting that we continue to remember the victims of the Matola Raid and reflect on the legacy between Frelimo and the ANC and the ongoing relationship between Mozambique and South Africa and its people.

We remember the brutal assault on January 30, 1981, when the South African Defence Force breached the territorial integrity of Mozambique to attack ANC safe houses in Matola, a neighbourhood near Maputo, which was used as stopover points for Umkhonto We Sizwe soldiers.

During the attack, three houses were targeted and destroyed, resulting in the deaths of 14 MK members and a Mozambican man, who I believe was mistaken for Joe Slovo due to their resemblance. In one of the houses, the ANC retaliated, killing two commandos and injuring others. Among the casualties was a British mercenary named Robert Lewis Hutchinson.

At the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, one of the survivors testified about this brutal assault including that the retreating SADF soldiers cutting off the ears of deceased comrades. Yet, we know that these brutal attacks in our neighbouring countries as part of the apartheid regime’s strategy to weaken the ANC did not ultimately succeed in stopping the march of freedom in our country.

The Matola Raid drew the global condemnation of the apartheid regime and rallied further international solidarity.  And after the funeral of these fallen heroes attended by former Mozambican President Samora Machel and former ANC President OR Tambo, February 14th each year was chosen as the Day of Friendship between South Africa and Mozambique. In addition, the Matola Raid Monument and Interpretive Centre was opened in 2015 to commemorate the event and solidify relations between the ANC, Frelimo, and our two countries.

As we reflect on the Matola Raid and its impact, we should reflect on the state of Southern and African unity and solidarity. In these bewildering times, when, in the words of the American right-wing strategist Steve Bannon, flooding the zone is the order of the day, however, are we able to maintain our respect for peace, national sovereignty, and solidarity?

Over the past week, we have seen US President Trump and his cohorts attempt to trade the end of the war in Ukraine for rare minerals. That is blatant and crude imperialism, reminiscent of what the colonial powers did in Africa – you give us your raw materials, and we will give you formal independence.

Gas in Northern Mozambique and valuable minerals such as coltan, which is used in most smartphones and computers in the DRC, are fueling violent conflict in these regions. South Africa has deployed troops in both of these places in an attempt to create peace and buffer the sovereignty of these countries. 

But, it is almost certain that behind these militia groups, such as M23 and the Islamists in Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique are multi-national companies backed by their governments interested in securing African resources at low prices and at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of Africans.

So, under current circumstances, when we face severe fiscal constraints in our own country and harsh choices about priorities, is sending South African troops the best way to support solidarity in Africa? Should we send soldiers or rather experts and governance support to the DRC so that the DRC can become an effective government, able to develop its potential and provide for its people across the width and breadth of its large country?

As we host the G20 in South Africa, should we not steer our diplomatic efforts to building solidarity with countries that recognise and value democracy, the integrity of African states, and the need for reparations for what colonial powers did to Africa? Africa can achieve unity if Africans are seen to be delivering to Africans.

Lastly, commemorating this Day of Friendship between South Africa and Mozambique should also remind us of the contributions of Mozambican workers to building our economy. It was the people of southern Mozambique who were forced to leave their rural homes to become migrant labourers and paid the highest price for South African gold. Nelson Mandela named his Presidential residence here in Tshwane Mahlamba Ndlopfu, which in Tsonga means new dawn, in honour of the people of southern Mozambique who made some in South Africa prosper.

The Mozambican rural economy has never recovered from this colonial exploitation.  Mozambique is one of the poorest and undeveloped countries in the world, having to rely on extractive industries and beset by conflicts over scarce resources, something which has begun to threaten the future of Frelimo and led to significant instability after their 2024 elections.

This is why so many Mozambicans come to South Africa and are forced to make their living as rhino poachers in the Kruger National Park, recyclers on our streets, drug traders and hired assassins, as well as illegal miners, as we recently witnessed in Stilfontein   

In a couple of days, on 5 March 2025, we will celebrate the 70^th Anniversary of SACTU, the South African Congress of Trade Unions.  An injury to one is an injury to all, was their rallying cry.  As we commemorate the Day of Friendship between Mozambique and South Africa, let us extend that arm of friendship and solidarity with the Mozambican workers and the working class.    

As South Africa we are inextricably tied to our South African neighbours. We have a shared past, and our future lie in regional cooperation.  The Matola Raid stands as a lasting reminder of the cost of freedom and the necessity of continued cooperation in building peace, justice, and prosperity across Southern Africa.