President Daniel Chapo on Wednesday led celebrations marking Mozambique’s 50th anniversary of independence, using the golden jubilee as a rallying cry for unity across political, ethnic and regional lines.
Speaking before some 40,000 citizens and foreign dignitaries at Machava Stadium, Chapo lit the Flame of National Unity and urged Mozambicans “from Rovuma to Maputo” to set aside differences in party allegiance, religion, sport and ethnicity.
Earlier in the day, Chapo laid a wreath at Maputo’s Monument of the Mozambican Heroes, commemorating those who fought to dismantle Portuguese colonial rule in 1975.
The stadium ceremony featured military parades, traditional music and dance, and the simultaneous raising of the national flag.
Among the African heads of state observing the festivities were President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Guinea-Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embaló, underscoring regional solidarity.
The event was held under the theme “50 Years of Independence: Consolidating National Unity, Peace and Sustainable Development.”
Mozambique’s struggle for self-rule began in earnest in 1964 and culminated a decade later with formal sovereignty.
The golden jubilee served both as a tribute to past sacrifices and a platform for the government’s renewed focus on peacebuilding and inclusive development.
JN/APA