Samora Machel
Machel, Samora
Born Sept. 29, 1933. Mozambican political figure.
A member of the Shangana tribe, Machel has been active in the liberation struggle of the peoples of Mozambique against the Portuguese colonialists since 1963. In 1966 he was appointed commander of the rebel units of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). In 1969 he became president of FRELIMO and also commander of the national liberation army of Mozambique. He headed the FRELIMO delegation to the decolonization talks with representatives of the Portuguese government in September 1974. On June 25, 1975, Machel became president of the People’s Republic of Mozambique.