“The Day They Praise Me, Know I’ve Betrayed You.” – Samora Machel’s Warning to Africa
“IF ONE DAY YOU SEE EUROPEANS OR WHITE PEOPLE PRAISING ME, IT MEANS I HAVE BETRAYED YOU.”
Those weren’t empty words.
They were spoken by Samora Machel, the revolutionary leader who became the first president of independent Mozambique after centuries of Portuguese rule.
Machel wasn’t talking about race.
He was talking about power.
He understood something many leaders forget: when former colonial powers suddenly celebrate you, it’s often because you’ve become useful to their interests.
After leading the armed struggle against Portugal, Machel refused to turn Mozambique into a puppet state. He nationalized land. He rejected Western dominance. He aligned with liberation movements across Africa. He openly criticized apartheid South Africa and minority rule in Rhodesia.
That made him admired at home.
And uncomfortable abroad.
His government faced destabilization, economic sabotage, and a brutal civil war fueled by Cold War politics. In 1986, Machel died in a mysterious plane crash near the South African border—an event that still sparks debate today.
So what did he really mean?
He meant that liberation is not just about removing a flag. It’s about resisting subtle control. It’s about understanding that praise from powerful interests can sometimes signal compromise.
The question is uncomfortable but necessary:
How many African leaders today would pass Machel’s test?
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Because true independence demands memory.
Source:
– Samora Machel speeches archives
– Allen & Barbara Isaacman, Mozambique: From Colonialism to Revolution, 1900–1982
– William Minter, Apartheid’s Contras