About the Author

Solomon Mondlane was born 31 July 1976 as Domingo Tshekefane Mondlane, the son of Vicente Mododweni Mondlane of Manjacaze in the Gaza Province in Mozambique and Verah Stengile of Johannesburg, South Africa (a former ANC exile in Mozambique). Solomon was abducted by RENAMO at the age of 13 to fight in the war , and escaped to Swaziland after six months.

Before he was abducted, he witnessed the abduction of his aunt Leah. Solomon matriculated in Swaziland at St Francis High School in Mbabane. While he was still at school, he vowed that he would come back to his country to fight against FRELIMO and RENAMO. Today Solomon Mondlane is the founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) movement in Mozambique.

Solomon Mondlane became close to Dr. Massinga when he returned to Mozambique in 1997. Dr. Massinga treated Mondlane as his own son. By then Mondlane was 21 years old. Dr. Massinga used to tell Mondlane about the problems he encountered in his life. From that time, Mondlane wanted to write a book which would reveal the cruel governance of FRELIMO and the killings
by RENAMO, but the time was not right. He also wanted to honour Dr. Massinga, the man he believed had done so much for the country without recognition.

In 1999 Mondlane went to South Africa to work and to further his studies. In South Africa, many Mozambicans who knew Mondlane contacted him and asked him to draft a plan to bring back their families, which were scattered by the Guebuza’s Operation Production law. Mondlane saw that it was important to return home to start a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) movement, which would pressurise the government of Mozambique to establish a commission
to compensate the victims.

Mondlane always blamed Graça Machel (the former first lady of Mozambique) for separating the issue of the death of her husband from the issues of those who suffered under the regime of Samora Machel. To expose Graça and the cruel rule of Samora Machel, Mondlane approached Dr. Massinga to consider writing his life story. Mondlane did not realise that he would get more sensitive issues than he expected. For nine months, Mondlane followed the stories, which Dr. Massinga told about himself.

Mondlane never rested. Sometimes he would find himself in tears. It was nine months of joy and sadness. Dr. Massinga would travel with Mondlane wherever he was, telling him what had happened to him and to the country. Mondlane remembered some of the things he had witnessed before he escaped to Swaziland at the age of nine. When he thought of the abduction of his aunt, he felt it was important to do something in order to trace all those who had disappeared, for he believes some are still alive but they have no way of returning to their families.

Mondlane founded the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) movement, for he needed the truth himself as much as many others did. Solomon tried to locate some of the people who were imprisoned with Dr. Massinga, but they refused to tell their stories, feeling that FRELIMO would rearrest them and that’s when Mondlane vowed that he would free his people.
Kenneth Makhanya