Matola Raid

The Matola Raid was an attack of an African National Congress (ANC) training camp by the South African state security forces in Matola, Mozambique on 30 January 1981 that left 13 MK operative dead. The attack also left 3 of the special forces and 1 civilian dead.[1] [2] The raid was a carefully planned operation which began by soliciting allocations of the ANC training camps as well as intelligence of the number of ANC operatives key figures in Matola. It took place during the height of apartheid in South Africa in order to quell the ANC and PAC anti apartheid activities in exile. [1]

Background

The raid was planned over a couple of months and attacks were carried out in the morning of 30 January 1981. Three ANC safe houses were targeted and attacked by the South African security forces, however the ANC MK veterans retaliated and killed 3 of the attackers. One Mozambican who bore a striking resemblance to Joe Slovo was also killed which caused the South African Security Forces to celebrate thinking they've succeeded in killing the high profile ANC leader only to discover later that it was not Slovo. [3]

Reaction

Both president of the ANC Oliver Tambo and president of Mozambique Samora Machel condemned the killings. In the inaugural commemoration of the killings President Machel declared this as a day of friendship between the ANC and the government of Mozambique which presidents Filipe Nyusi and Jacob Zuma continued to acknowledge during the unveiling of the monument in 2005.[3] [1]

References
  1. "Truth Commission - Special Report - MOLEBATSI, DanielEpisode 82, Section 3, Time 23:05". sabctrc.saha.org.za.
  2. "Statement by Oliver Tambo on South African Raid on Matola, 05 February 1981 | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za.
  3. DMV, 2015 ©. "The Department of Military Veterans". The Department of Military Veterans website.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)


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