Apartheid Murder in Matola: 30 January 1981

Apartheid Murder in Matola: 30 January 1981

“… there have never been any ANC bases or camps in Mozambique. There are residences … and if the qualification to make a house a base is only that the people in it can use a gun, then let us be told now. Because every white man in South Africa can use a gun and there are weapons in every white household. Are these bases too?”

– Oliver Tambo (14 February 1981) –

(Adapted from the Editorial, “Apartheid Murder in Matola”, Sechaba, March Issue, 1981).

It was on Friday, 30 January 1981, at 02:00 am when the racist forces, their faces painted black and uniforms covered in graffiti, attacked not just 3 African National Congress (ANC) residences, killing 12 of our comrades but invaded Mozambique, and independent African state and murdered a foreign national, Mr Jose Ramos, a Portuguese technician under contract to the state-owned Mozambique Electricity Company.

The comrades who were murdered included Montso “Obadi” Mokgabudi, who died several days later from his injuries, Mduduzi “Nkululeko” Guma, Lancelot “Sobantu” Hadebe, Krishna “Goodwin” Rabilal, Mandla Daka, Daniel Molokisi, Steven Ngcobo, Vusumzi Ngwema, Thabang Bookolane, Collin Khumalo, Levinson Mankankaza, Felix Magubane and Albert Mahutso. Themba “John” Dimba and Mbulelo “Moss” Musi were among those who were injured and taken to hospital in Maputo.

The South African press called this crime a “military victory”, a “daring raid” and an “Israeli-type pre-emptive strike against the African National Congress bases”. Two things need to be said about this dastardly act of barbarism: innocent members of the ANC were gunned to death in their sleep in Mozambique, which reserves the right to take steps necessary to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, has been invaded in public defiance of international law.

It was perhaps in response to this that Comrade Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, in condemning “these barbarous acts that Pretoria is resorting to in defence of her racist and inhuman policies” added that the attack “was a signal warning to us not only to proceed with speed to strengthen our defence forces, but also to consolidate our military alliance with our Mozambique brothers in defence of our political order and developing economies”.

At the funeral of our 12 comrades killed in the Maputo suburb of Matola, Comrade Mario Machungo, Mozambique’s Planning Minister declared that “nothing will weaken our solidarity” with the South African people and the ANC. Comrade President O.R. Tambo replied to the racist lies: “… there have never been any ANC bases or camps in Mozambique. There are residences … and if the qualification to make a house a base is only that the people in it can use a gun, then let us be told now. Because every white man in South Africa can use a gun and there are weapons in every white household. Are these bases too?”

“There were no guns captured. The large quantities of weapons is the creation of active imaginations.” They were taken from racist South Africa’s own armouries, and he went on to say that it is a lie that literature was supposed to have been captured by the Boers because “works by Lenin are no documents carrying ANC secrets”. While (Ronald) Reagan is worried about what he calls “international terrorism” he had nothing to say about this example.

It is one of those bitter truths of our times that no progressive movement, no true revolution, has ever been immune to imperialist smear campaigns or direct attacks. It is a paradox of our times that the degree of success of any revolution can be measured by the imperialist propaganda campaign or acts of aggression against it – however sad the tragedies may be. This is true of Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Cuba. The list is endless.

This is also true of SWAPO (South West Africa People’s Organisation) – which is banned even in the Transkei where it has no role to play. This is becoming true of the ANC which has long been a target of our enemies.

Sources:
Editorial, “Apartheid Murder in Matola”, Sechaba, March Issue, 1981, p. 1).
Paddy Harper, “Tears in Memory of Matola Raid”, News24, 27 February 2011.
Department of Military Veterans, “The DMV Remembers the Matola Raid of 1981”, The Department of Military Veterans South Africa, 31 January 2023.

Castro Khwela
Good day fellow Compatriots!