What is Samora Machel birthday?

Samora Machel was born at 1933-09-29

When was Samora Machel died?

Samora Machel was died at 1986-10-19

Where was Samora Machel died?

Samora Machel was died in Mbuzini

Which age was Samora Machel died?

Samora Machel was died at age 53

Where is Samora Machel's birth place?

Samora Machel was born in Gaza Province

What is Samora Machel nationalities?

Samora Machel's nationalities is Mozambican

Who is Samora Machel spouses?

Samora Machel's spouses is Graça Machel

Who is Samora Machel childrens?

Samora Machel's childrens is Idelson Machel, Joscelina Machel, Josina Z. Machel, Malengani Machel, N’tewane Machel, Olívia Machel, Samito Machel

What is Samora Machel's cause of dead?

Samora Machel dead because of Plane Crash

What is Samora Machel's religion?

Samora Machel's religion is Atheism

How famous is Samora Machel?

Samora Machel is famouse as Political leader

Samora Machel - Political Leaders, Career and Childhood

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Samora Machel's Personal Details

Samora Machel was a revolutionary leader who served as Mozambique's first President

Information	Detail
Birthday	September 29, 1933
Died on	October 19, 1986
Nationality	Mozambican
Famous	Leaders, Revolutionaries, Political Leaders
Spouses	Graça Machel
Known as	Samora Moises Machel
Childrens	Idelson Machel, Joscelina Machel, Josina Z. Machel, Malengani Machel, N’tewane Machel, Olívia Machel, Samito Machel
Cause of death	Plane Crash
Birth Place	Gaza Province
Religion	Atheism
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Libra
Born in	Gaza Province
Famous as	Political leader
Died at Age	53

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Who is Samora Machel?

Samora Machel was a Mozambican revolutionary leader and military commander who led the Mozambican people in their struggle for independence from Portugal, eventually becoming the country’s first president. Born to poor parents, under the Portuguese rule, he grew up experiencing discrimination and ill-treatment in his own country. The Portuguese forced the poor farmers to grow cotton instead of food crops and curbed the natives’ right to access higher education. Living under the Portuguese’s repressive rule made him a revolutionary who realized that it was his life’s true calling to fight for the independence of his country. In order to prepare for his future activities, he left Mozambique and traveled to other African countries from where he received military training. He returned to his motherland and led the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO)’s first guerilla attack against the Portuguese. He became the commander and chief of the FRELIMO army and led his men by example in combats. After years of struggle, the Portuguese were forced to leave Mozambique, and Machel’s new revolutionary government took over. He became independent Mozambique’s first president and was greatly loved and respected by his fellow countrymen. He was later killed in a controversial plane crash on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in 1986.

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Childhood & Early Life

Samora Machel was born on 29 September 1933 into a family of poor farmers in Gaza Province, Mozambique. His father, being a black Mozambican, was classified as "indigena"—a demeaning term for natives. Mozambique was under Portuguese rule back then.

His parents along with other poor peasants were forced to grow cotton instead of food grains to feed the family. The black farmers were also paid less than the white ones. Young Samora grew up witnessing the ill-treatment and discrimination the poor blacks were subjected to.

He went to a mission school run by Catholic missionaries who educated the children in Portuguese language and culture. He also started working in the fields while he was still a student.

During those days only a few professional fields were open to blacks and nursing was one of them. So he started studying nursing in the capital city of Lourenço Marques (today Maputo) in 1954.

The 1950s was a very difficult period for him. His family’s farmlands were snatched away and were given to white settlers, forcing several of his relatives to go to South Africa in search of work. One of his brothers was killed in a mining accident, adding to his mounting miseries.

Later Years

Even though Machel was unable to complete his formal training, he got a job working as an aide at the Miguel Bombarda Hospital in Lourenço Marques. Here too he faced discrimination as the black nurses were paid less than the white ones. He protested against this discrimination and received a warning.

Machel was attracted to Marxist ideals and left the hospital to begin his political activities. In 1962, he joined the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), a revolutionary group dedicated to creating an independent Mozambique.

Samora Machel left Mozambique in 1963 and went to several other African nations from where he received military training. He returned to Mozambique in 1964 and when FRELIMO launched the independence war in September that year, he led FRELIMO's first guerilla attack against the Portuguese in northern Mozambique.

He rapidly rose up the ranks in FRELIMO and became the head of the army after the death of its first commander, Filipe Samuel Magaia, in October 1966. When FRELIMO’s founder and first president Eduardo Mondlane, was assassinated by a parcel bomb in 1969, Machel took over as the president in 1970.

Machel was a revolutionary who dedicated his life to overthrow the Portuguese rule and establish Mozambique as an independent nation. He believed in guerilla war and his army soon established itself among the country’s poor.

The activities of the revolutionary FRELIMO army weakened the Portuguese rule considerably. In April 1974, the Portuguese officers realized their weakening position and overthrew the government in Lisbon.

Within a few weeks, Machel proclaimed “the total and complete independence of Mozambique and its constitution into the People’s Republic of Mozambique” on 25 June, 1975, and became independent Mozambique's first president.

He started implementing reforms almost immediately and nationalized land and several health and educational institutions. He also took steps for establishing public schools and health clinics for the poor.

In 1977 Machel was re-elected as President of FRELIMO, and thus automatically as President of the Republic.

He gave his support to the revolutionaries fighting white minority regimes in Rhodesia and South Africa, and allowed them to operate within Mozambique. As a result both these countries supported an anti-FRELIMO organization called RENAMO, which led to the civil war in Mozambique.

Awards & Achievements

He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1975-1976.

Personal Life & Legacy

He began a relationship with Sorita Tchaiakomo in the late 1950s when he was working as a nurse in Inhaca Island. Sorita gave birth to four of his children over the next few years. Meanwhile he also became involved with another woman, Irene Buque, with whom he had a daughter. He did not marry either Sorita or Irene.

He married Josina Abiatar Muthemba in 1969. The couple had one son. His wife died of cancer in 1971. Machel was devastated at the death of his young wife.

He married Graça Simbine, a teacher with active involvement in politics, in September 1975. The couple had two children.

He attended a summit in Mbala, Zambia on 19 October, 1986, and was returning to Mozambique when his plane crashed into a hillside at Mbuzini, just inside South Africa. Machel died in the crash along with 33 of the other passengers.

His untimely death shocked the whole world and rumors were rife that the South African government was somehow responsible for the crash, although it strongly denied a connection.

A memorial to Machel was erected in 1999 at the site of the crash.

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