SAMORA MOISES MACHEL MOZAMBIQUE'S FIRST PRESIDENT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02987748
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-01461
• Publication Date: July 1, 1975

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Biographic Report
Samora Moises MACHEL
Mozambique's First President
BR-75-39
July 1975
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NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanptions
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President Machel Accepts FRELIMO Flag
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MOZAMBIQUE Samora Moises,IVIACHEL
President
President of the Front for the
Libergtion of Mozambique
(FRELIMO) since 1970, Samora
Machel (pronounced mahSFIELL)
became the first President of the
Peop1e'5 Republic of Mozambique on
25 June 975; his inauguration ended
five centuries of Portuguese rule. A
man of action and a natural leader,
Machel joined FRELIMO as a
guerrilla fighter in 1963 and was chief
of guerrilla operations from 1968 until
the end of the hostilities in 1974. As
FRELIMO president, he led
delegations to the peace talks with the
Portuguese in Lusaka, Zambia, in June 1974 and again in September, when an
independence agreement was signed. During the discussions he impressed the
Zambians with his independent character.
From September 1974 until June 1975 Mozambique had a transitional
government. Machel refused to take part in it, however, preferring to stay in
Tanzania, where he had lived during the 12 years since he joined FRELIMO.
There he prepared for independence by organizing a party congress, sending
FRELIMO members out to build local party organizations in Mozambiaue
and laying his plans for the future government.
Pinally returning to Mozambique in May 1975,
he made a whirlwind speaking tour of the country that ended in his triumphal
entry into Lourengo Marques on the day before his inauguration.
An austere, dedicated revolutionary, Machel is respected and popular
within FRELIMO. he is un-
compromising on matters of principle and unwavering in his determination
to bring a, ..ut revolutionary change in Mozambique as well as national in-
dependence. Machel has had little contact with Americans
officials.
This report was prepared by the Central Reference Service and was coor-
dinated within CIA as appropilate. Comments and questions may be directed
to
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Machel's political philosophy is Marxist Tici is closer to Maoism than are
rnst other forms of, African socialism; He has written several political
r.i'mphlets in classical' Maoist-Marxist terminology. In his inaugural speech
made it clear that FRELIMO would doininate all aspects of "national
�_,...dnstruction" and "be the vanguard "-of the revolution." He pledged a
volutionary and socialist governffint'whose motto, would be: "to each ac-
:ording to his work, from each according to his Mozambique's
, ,
oconomic situation, he says, is catastrophic because of colonialism, and the
priority tasks of the new government will be economic and agricultural
development, health, and ethicatio7.
An admirer of Tanzanian ?resident Julius Nyerere, Machel is likely to ,In
guided by Nyerere's policies of state control and the establishment of rural
agricultural communes. The new Constitution has emphasized the creation of
such communes (also referred to as collective villages and as revolutionary
societies). Machel gives high priority to "dynamization"�a political con-
sciousness raising program in which party cells will be formed, either at places
of work or in residential areas, to politicize and educate the masses. Through
these cells FRELIMO hopes to explain its policies and prepare the people for
their new responsibilities. The cells are also expected to create a collective
spirit that will replace the tribal spirit. Tribalism is a;major problem for
FRELIMO, which lacks support from, or even contact with, many of the
southern tribes whose territory was not involved in the guerilla operations
during the 10-year hostilities.
The inauguration: L-R, Portuguese Prime Minister Gen. Vasco Goncalves; FRELIMO Vice
President Marcelino dos Sanios; Mtchel; and President of the Organization of African Unity
Mohamed Siad Barre (President of Somalia)
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Mache is ideologically inclined toward state control of industry, hut he
has stated that Mozambique will permit private investment as long as it does
not interfere with state economic policy. Foreign investment will also be per-
mitted, within the same limits.
Brain Drain
If the trained white techhicians leave, Mozambique will have a major
problem; loss of theh talents and skills could serkwsly disrupt the country's
economic life. FRELIM1,1 .is promised them a place in the new society if
they choose to remain, and color is not a basis for either FRELI MO
membership or Mozae,ican citizenship.
So far, however, Machel has not scored well in halting the exodus of
white professionals. The speeches he made in the provinces upon his return to
Mozambique in May contained racial themes and references to Portuguese
atrocities
Foreign Policies�Pragmatically
Socialist
Listing his government's priorities in foreign affairs at his inauguration,
Machel said Mozambique would strengthen its relations with fraternal
African countries, with the socialist countries, and with the liberation
movements of the world. Mozambique was, however, "ready to have relations
with all other countries on the basis of noninterference in internal affairs,
mutual benefit and absolute equality." He said the country would work for
"real neace" in the world, support the establishment of the Indian Ocean as a
peace zone, and abide by the UN Charter.
Machel's actions have shown that he is more a pragmatist than an
ideelogist. When he became FRELI MO president, he decided to continue the
policy of his predecessor, Eduardo Mondlane, of seeking aid from all nations.
He rejected the advice of the FRELI MO vice president and foreign affairs ex-
Marcelino dos Santos, that the organization should depend only on
"friendly" socialist countries. As well as receiving military training and equip-
ment from the Chinese and Soviets, FRELIMO has received medical supplies
and educational aid from Eastern and Western European governments and
from private groups in the United Kingdom and the United States. Machel
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has indicated that Mozambique will continue to accept aid from all
governments.
Because of the close ties between. the Mozambican and Portuguese
economies and Mozambique's dependence on Portuguese technicians, Machel
will probably find it necessary to remain closely linked with Portugal for quite
some time. Because of the type of society he envisions, however, he will
probably find himself moving toward ties to the Chinese. He concluded an aid
agreement with them immediately after independence
Toward South Africa and Rhodesia
Machel's pragmatism is expected to influence the policies he adopts
toward his country's white neighbors, South Africa and Rhodesia. He has
condemned their racial policies, but he did not, as expected, move immediate-
ly to implement the economic sanctions against Rhodesia that are encouraged
by the Organization of African Unqy and the United Nations. Economic
realities will make Machel loath to implement the sanctions unless the
resulting financial loss to Mozambique's economy can be met from other
quarters. (Mozambique has annually earned about $200 million from wages
sent home by Mozambicans working in South Africa, from the transshipment
of Rhodesian and South African imports and exports, and from tourism and
other commercial ties.) Another important financial source will be the sale to
South Africa of electricity from the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric plant,
probably beginning some time in 1975.
Machel is, however, ready to aid the black nationalists who oppose the
Rhodesian and South African regimes, and he has asked the South Africans
and Rhodesians to close their consulates in Lourenco Marques. The South
Africans have Leen allowed to open an "office," and the Rhodesians to retain
a "trade representative."
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Early Life and Career
Samora Moises Machel was born on 11 May 1932 at Macia in Gaza
District, 70 miles noi di of Lourenco Manures
Machel's family was Protestant, but he attended the
Roman Catholic Mission School of Sao Paulo de Mcssano in Bilene, where he
was nicknamed "the rebel." Unable to continue because of his family's finan-
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Machel later went to a school on 1 nhaca Island,
where he trained as a nurse. As of 1961 he was working as a nurse at the
Miguel Bombardo Hospital in Lourenco Marques.
In 1961 Machel met Mondlane, a US-educated Mozambican and lec-
turer at Syracuse University, who was visiting Africa under UN auspices. In
1962 Mondlane founded FRELIMO in Dar es Salaam, and in 1963, when
Machel heard of it, he made his way to Tanzania to join. After receiving 9
months of guerrilla training in Algeria, he returned to Tanzania to train�and
then lead�the 250 guerrillas who launched the initial attack against the Por-
tuguese on 25 September 1964. Machel specialized in hit-and-run tactics and
trained his men to be tough, disciplined and satisfied with a Spartan existence.
By 1966 Machel had been formally recognized as FRELIMO's secretary for
defense, and when the guerrilla commander Filipe Magaia was killed in a skir-
mish in 1968, he took on the added job of commander in chief of the
organization's guerrilla operations. In the same year he was also elected to the
party's Central Committee.
After the assassination of Mondlane in February 1969, Machel was
named to the interim three-man council of the presidency. He quickly
emerged as the group's strong man. One of the three, Uria Simango, publicly
criticized his two colleagues, dos Santos and Machel, and was expelled from
the party in November 1969. In May 1970 the FRELI MO Central Committee
elected Machel president and dos Santos vice president.
"The General"
Machel is heavily bearded and slight of build and has piercing eyes. "The
General," as he was nicknamed by his troops, usually wears green fatigues and
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is rarely seen without a pistol in his belt. Only occasionally has he appeared in
a Western business suit. A powerful orator, Machel speaks Portuguese,
broken Swahili and some French. He understands English.
An austere man, Machel lived modestly in Dar es Salaam. He neither
drinks nor smokes.
He shuns the
limelight, and for a long time he has avoided press interviews. On the few oc-
casions when he has talked to the press, however, he has been articulate and
open and has seemed warm and friendly.
Machel received the Lenin Centenary Medal in 1971. In 1975 he was
awarded Zambia's highest decoration, Grand Commander of the Order of
Grand Companions of Freedom, and Tanzania's highest decoration, the
Order of the Torch of Kilimanjaro.
Family
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Machel has been married twice. By his first wife he has a son who is now
13 years old In 1969 Machel married Josina Muthemba
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She died in a Chinese
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hospital in Dar es Salaam in 1971.
Machel has three brothers.
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