“For the nation to live, the tribe must die.”
National unity required moving political loyalty beyond the tribal divisions colonial rule had exploited for generations.
— Samora Machel, Mozambique
Source: Samora Machel, FRELIMO independence-era speeches (widely documented in Mozambican political history)
More Proverbs from Mozambique
You cannot dance well on only one leg.
Balance and full commitment are needed to do anything properly.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →
Slander spoken by the stream will be heard by the frogs.
Gossip and secrets always spread; nothing said in the open truly stays hidden.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →
On a dead tree there are no monkeys.
People gather where there is life and opportunity, not around what has already failed.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →
If you do not travel, you will marry your own sister.
Leaving home to see the wider world is essential; those who never leave stay narrow and limited.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →
A snake that you can see does not bite.
A visible, acknowledged danger can be managed; it is the hidden threat that harms you.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →
Witch doctors do not sell their potions to each other.
True experts recognize their own kind and do not need to trade among themselves.
Traditional Mozambique Wisdom
Read more →