Two years after the General Peace Agreement, the first multiparty general elections were held. It was a milestone that promised freedom of choice and pluralism. Since then, several political parties with different proposals for governance have emerged. However, between 1994 and today, none of these parties has had a real opportunity to take power. Repeatedly, the opposition denounces electoral manipulation and fraud — as was seen once again in the shameful elections of October 9, 2024. I say this as any ordinary citizen could say, based on what our eyes see and evidence proves.
The word independence, when observed in its linguistic construction, is clear: denial of dependence. However, if we are provocative—and we must be—in the English language, the term “independent” can hide an irony: “in-dependence,” that is, “within dependence.” This leads us to reflect on whether we have in fact ceased to be a colony, or whether we have merely become part of a more sophisticated structure of domination—this time disguised as sovereignty.
Still within this analysis of words, there is an expression that is well known among us Mozambicans: “PARA O INGLÊS VER.” It refers to something done only for appearances, to show outsiders, while the internal reality remains mired in chaos. Today, as usual, television and the media will show improvements, parade promises, and present supposed advances. But we, the people, know that behind the scenes little or nothing has changed. And we say this not out of simple criticism, but from bitter experience.
It was hoped that after independence, with the efforts of our national heroes valued, Mozambicans would look to each other with a spirit of solidarity and commitment to the common good. That the rulers would prioritize the needs of the people. But, unfortunately, this did not happen.
With transportation, education, health care, food, energy, and water becoming increasingly expensive, the truth is that we were, in a way, more aware during colonization than we are now, in this supposed independence. At least we knew who the oppressor was. But today, he dresses like us, talks like us, but acts completely against us. Instead of improving living conditions, governments have made everything more expensive, more inaccessible, more exclusionary. Investing in a business, owning a home by the age of 30, or simply having decent healthcare are distant dreams for most of the country’s citizens.
Worse still, the West continues to exploit African resources with the connivance of the rulers themselves. It offers us “paths to development” that they themselves have designed — and which, instead of lifting us up, bury us even deeper in misery and dependence.
Meanwhile, a small group of families has been accumulating decades of power and influence, where companies in Mozambique and commercial establishments belong to foreigners, and young people collect experiences of unemployment, frustration, and hopelessness, with the idea of leaving Mozambique and never returning. Education is of very poor quality, graduates become chronically unemployed, and the value of the “Metical” deteriorates day after day. Young people cannot even make basic investments, and black students still have to beg for scholarships from whites in order to graduate, because the best education in the country does not offer the necessary quality.
If this is still happening to us, it is because our lord—with all the symbolism that this word carries—is still white. And I am not just talking about skin color, but about the structure of thought, economic domination, and foreign political influence.
It is clear, therefore, that we need a profound change in the model of governance. It is not just a question of party affiliation—FRELIMO or another—but of the absence of satisfactory results, of the lack of real commitment to the people. The government, which should serve the people, seems to have no time to look at them. It does not invest seriously in their real needs.
If we really want to reduce assaults, robberies, and murders, we must start by feeding people. Because what fuels crime is not ideology, but empty stomachs.
True INDEPENDENCE
True independence is not measured by the flag that is raised or the speeches that are made, but rather by the way people live. Therefore, on this June 25, instead of just celebrating, it is urgent to reflect. Independence must cease to be a pretty word in books, newspapers, and on television, but become a reality at the dinner table, in schools, in hospitals, in freedom of expression, and in the hearts of Mozambicans. That is what people need: a dignified life.
Until that happens, we will only be in a new form of dependence, leaving behind the ideology and sweat of Mondlane, Machel, Urias Simango and others. (António Mugadui)
