₦airaland Forum

Graca Simbine Machel is the only woman to have become the First Lady of two different countries – Mozambique and South Africa.

She is only person in history to have been the first spouse to two different democratically elected African leaders.

Machel was born on October 17, 1945, in Mozambique. Her journey is one of resilience, activism, and an unwavering commitment to education and social justice.

She excelled in school; earning a scholarship to attend the University of Lisbon in Portugal where she studied German. She developed a love of languages and today is fluent in her native Xitsonga, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, and English.

Her father died three weeks before her birth and left an instruction that she must be educated through high school — a will that was carried out by her older siblings.

After completing high school, the Methodist church granted her a scholarship to study at Lisbon University, Portugal. And she chose to major in languages.Due to surveillance from the Portuguese secret police, she was forced to abandon her education and fled to Switzerland.

In 1973, she returned to Tanzania and joined the FRELIMO where she met her first husband, Samora Machel – the first president of Mozambique.

On June 25, 1975, Mozambique gained independence and Samora Machel was made the first president of the new country.

When he was sworn in as the president of Mozambique, Samora Machel was a widower as his wife, Josina, had died of leukaemia in 1971.

In September of 1975, Graça married Samora Machel and became the first lady of the country. She combined this position with her cabinet portfolio as Education minister till 1986.

Samora Machel died in a plane crash on October 19, 1986, and this made Graca to resign her post as minister.

Machel became acquainted with Nelson Mandela after his release from prison on Robben Island.

They developed a close relationship and were married on July 18, 1988 (Mandela’s 80th birthday). Mandela was President of South Africa and Graca became the First Lady. She assumed the position of the First Lady of South Africa at age 52.

After Mandela’s death in 2013, Graca Mandela continued to be active in national and international efforts to help children and the less fortunate.

She is a founding member of “The Elders” an independent group of former global leaders formed in 2007 by Nelson Mandela to work together for peace and human rights.

Graca Mandela is also the Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Chancellor of the African Leadership University, President of the School for Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, and an active leader in numerous other educational and charitable organizations.

abobote:
You will need the pity more.
Poor man pitying rich man

pseudaria:
The difference remains they built a developed society why you couldn't. Maybe you should learn from them instead of trying to praise your society that produces leaders who steal your wealth pastors who would rather worship at the altar of money and political power than speak truth like Elijah, police who derive pleasure in oppressing innocent masses, judges who are eager to take bribes to bend the truth and traditional rulers who would rather give yahoo boys and drug dealers chieftaincy titles before considering that teacher who has spent 30yrs labouring in the community school. There is nothing about the Nigerian society that is worth emulating.

Leonard04:
My leaving was a miracle months ago

elitper:
Who is Sisi Kamo, please?

press9jatv:
ladoja, Akala and Ajimobi was unable to execute it now.

press9jatv:
APC apologists with their lies and propaganda are Siamese twins. I know you people no be small. Abeg shift joor. Wetin ladoja did in governance compare to what gsm is presently doing. Dey play and be deceiving yourself here

kpompey:
One of the most useless governor in the history of the state.Zero development. Olodo bridge is close to two years, now rain is coming again. The road he claimed to have completed are very poor quality. Thousands rendered homeless due to one useless circular road at Ajia. The same thing plays out at Moniya. Ajimobi who originally started the road gave a setback of 75m. Makinde came and increase the setback to 600m rendering many homeless. The idiot sold all recreational centres like trans amusement pack to allies whom he called developer to make money.How many jobs were created. What is the condition of virtually all health centers refurbished by Ajimobi administration, plus the hospital he built to decentralise Adeoyo which the idiot turned to Covid centre. Seyi is a mediocre and only people outside Ibadan could praise him, I mean those living outside the state.

press9jatv:
keep living in your deluded State of mind here. GSM is fully activated.

press9jatv:
you are just displaying your ignorance here. GSM doesn’t want any street traders along that axis when the road is been fully completed. Keep on living in your deluded State of mind here. No road trading in Seyi Makinde government here. Seyi is planning for the future Already.

press9jatv:
you don’t want to hear the truths niii. Keep living in your ignorance and propaganda. More pictures of the projects coming up. If you want to check and be enlightened about the massive projects of GSM, just check his Facebook page or check oyo state government feedback on factor Twitter page. You will be more enlightened and not living in your ignorance here. I know that you are APC apologist.

press9jatv:
the ones that their lands are well documented are much compensated. It’s the people their lands doesn’t have papers that are complaining. Infact GSM address them yesterday. Check this link on Facebook and be much enlightened. Infact all of them beg governor seyi Makinde to please give them something or settled them in a place. Check this link here;

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0299mcpjSN42nAmbyvXCHsQ1SmpzGGmoE6GWWNauPt4JTzn7QqJnYoiWAvKmQmX2Gkl&id=100044135961426

press9jatv:
it will be posted here. Besides in 2-3 weeks now, government will meet aggrieved land owners that owed lands in that area. The details will be posted here.

press9jatv:
bla bla bla with propaganda here. Each and everyone of them will be compensated heavily. Not only compensated, most of these house owners have been warned before they erect their structures on the government acquired land. They are to be blame mostly.

press9jatv:
you only post pictures where some demolition took place here. Stop your lies and propaganda here joor. All the landlords that was heavily affected have been compensated already. People are even moving there to buy lands now .

press9jatv:
you only posted pictures from last time(5 days ago) they asked for settlements. Maybe I should post much details about the settlement for you to be enlightened.

press9jatv:
have they protest this month niii Abi last month . Stop displaying your ignorance and propaganda here. What you are saying here is just clueless lies here. GSM government have settled all the lands and buildings that was affected with the ongoing projects in Circular Road axis. I have been saying it online here, you can access these pictures on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. All the pictures are there. And that’s where I lifts it from to nairaland. I’m not collecting any funds from anyone. I just appreciate great service here and I love it to promote their works in government. By 2027, GSM will leave the government and we will see what his successor will do in government.

press9jatv:
everything has been settled amicably. Any protests from them since that period and time niiii 🌝🌝🌝🌝

press9jatv:
you are just blowing much lies and propaganda here. What you said here is blunt lies and propaganda here. I could remember when GSM was constructing Akala expressway road then, there’s nothing you won’t heard from the south sayers then. Today that road projects have been commissioned and put to used. By the middle or end of 2024, the first phase of circular road will have completed. 60% of the contract sum have been paid to the contractors already.

press9jatv:
Na lies and propaganda you dey blow here. Abeg let me breathe joor 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🐦🐦🐦🐦

press9jatv:
not true, go and ask the meters of setbacks here. Besides, there’s ministry of lands and housing including ministry of works that you can ask and be enlightened too. Their offices are in the State secretariat in AGODI