The Life and Walks of Dr. José C. Massinga

The Life and Walks of Dr. José C. Massinga
Moments of:
Challenge • Stubbornness • Brilliance • Patience • Love
Author: Solomon Mondlane

“No truth, no future” Desmond Tutu

The Life and Walks of Dr. Jose Chicuarra Massinga is the extraordinary true story of a politician who suffered from his childhood until the days when he thought all sufferings were over.

He started politics when he was young; challenging the authority of his district in Guma after the Portuguese Governor shifted his tribal chieftaincy to another tribe.

He also challenged the teachers where he studied on unfair ssues concerning them as students. Though he was brilliant, he was dismissed from his school where he was doing a last class at the Namaacha Seminary.

Dr. Massinga wanted more education. He tried to apply to many schools of the then Lorenzo Marques but he was not accepted. He had the opportunity to meet Dr. Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane the first black Mozambican to obtain a doctorate and the first black Mozambican to work in the UN offices. Dr. Mondlane helped Dr. Massinga to obtain a scholarship to study overseas. It was not easy for Dr. Massinga to leave the country for the Portuguese would not allow him to do so. He was arrested under the Portuguese law, which prevented blacks to go outside the country. He escaped via Swaziland.

In Swaziland, he spent some time with other politicians. He moved to Tanzania and was there during the formation of the ruling party FRELIMO under Dr. Mondlane. He then went to study in the USA and Switzerland. For 10 years, Dr. Massinga pursued his studies. In 1973, he rejoined his colleagues in the war against the Portuguese.

In 1995, Mozambique gained independence and he was there working in the government. When he thought everything was going well, his people betrayed him. He was imprisoned and tortured. In 1985, he was released and escaped to Portugal where he helped to bring peace to his country, for the government was fighting against the rebels. He organised conferences in Portugal to try to restore peace and to help Mozambican refugees to obtain scholarships under the
organisation ‘Friends of Mozambique’.

Peace was restored in Mozambique and Mozambique became a democratic country. Dr. Massinga formed his own opposition political party and sat in Parliament in 1994.

Today Dr Massinga is a happy man, despite the fact that the FRELIMO government has failed to honour him – he knows he has done a lot for his country. Bishop Desmond Tutu - former Chairman, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa.