A Tense Mozambican Atmosphere after the Nkomati Accord
On 24 March 1984, a New York Times newspaper report claimed that according to African National Congress (ANC) officials in Maputo, the atmosphere in Mozambique was tense for ANC cadres and Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) combatants following the signing of the Nkomati Accord. At least twelve homes of South African activists in the city were raided by Mozambican security officials, including the residence of Joe Slovo (New York Times, 26 March 1984).
Apparently, no documents were seized during the raids, but four people were detained, weapons were confiscated, including a handgun that was issued to Slovo, who was not at home during the raid. Slovo was at that time in Swaziland, busy appointing a “Co-ordinating Committee”, which was tasked with overseeing ANC political and military work following the Nkomati Accord. The Committee’s Chairperson was to be Ronnie Kasrils, its Secretary and Treasurer Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, and its members were to be Siphiwe Nyanda, representing the Transvaal Machineries, and Thami Zulu, as the representative of the Natal military structures.
The signing of the Nkomati Accord on 16 March 1984 was hailed as a great diplomatic victory by the Mozambican government, which for various reasons was not actually true. For instance, on the eve of the ceremony, Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere paid a short visit to Maputo, seemingly in a bid to dissuade Samora Machel from going ahead with signing
