Forty years of freedom celebrated

BLOCK C – Aluta continua was the order of the day when Mozambican nationals from Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng gathered to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their independence.

The occasion, which was graced by the presence of the MEC for the sports, culture and recreation, Norah Mahlangu-Mabena, was nothing short of jovial.

“It gives us great pleasure to celebrate with you this very important day. We have become one, as neighbours, thus our relationship has become stronger.

“The late president Samora Machel accommodated us during hard times in the country, on our road to freedom, he played a huge role. His death was a huge loss to all of us,” said Mahlangu-Mabena. She also assured the people of Mozambique that the Samora Machel monument in Mbuzini would be preserved and taken care of.

“This is our bid for honouring the African heroes and heroines who died in the struggle, his legacy will be preserved and the generations will get to know about it,” she added.

The high commissioner of Mozambique, Mr Fernando Fazenda, was also in attendance, and encouraged the people to treasure their freedom, and make sure that they were deserving of it.

“The biggest question is: do we deserve to enjoy the fruits of those who died while liberating us? We need to acknowledge their sacrifices, and unite in fighting today’s struggles.

We are bombarded by poverty, it’s different stories every day, surrounding the same subject. Africans need to unite, stand together and fight poverty. This is what the ANC and Frelimo stood for, and we need to take it forward,” said Fezenda.

The day ended up in a great feast, with lots of seafood and cake, while entertainers hit the stage and danced like it’s the only thing they knew how to do.