Maputo — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Wednesday declared that national unity remains a key requirement in the battle the country continues to wage to improve the living conditions of its citizens.

Guebuza was speaking on Mozambican Heroes Day, immediately after laying a wreath in memory of the founder and first president of the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO), Eduardo Mondlane.

Mondlane, regarded as the architect of Mozambican national unity, was assassinated 41 years ago in Dar es Salaam by a parcel bomb sent by the Portuguese secret police, the PIDE.

Guebuza declared that Mondlane's ideals are very much alive. "He spoke of the national unity which gave us victory over colonialism", he said. "Today, 41 years after his death, this national unity is still necessary for the combat we have ahead of us, in which our main task is to continue the struggle against poverty".

Despite the key role of Mondlane in the struggle for Mozambican independence, an alarmingly large number of young Mozambicans, born after independence, know little or nothing about him and about the other anti-colonialist fighters who gave their lives for the country's freedom.

Guebuza pledged that the government will fight to promote knowledge of the country's heroes - just as it had done last year, when a variety of events were held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of Mondlane, and of several guerrilla commanders who died in 1969 (such as Tomas Nduda, John Issa, and Jose Macamo).

Guebuza said this effort to honour the country's heroes, and to value places that were historically important in the liberation struggle will continue. "The schools will also continue to teach our history, so that everyone knows the journey we have taken", he added.

Asked what are the qualities required in a national hero, Guebuza replied "a hero is someone who, although he is equal to us, does more than we do. We look at him and admire how he managed to surpass himself and us".

Mondlane's oldest son, Eduardo Mondlane Junior, told AIM that his father's dream had always been the birth of an independent, sovereign and Mozambican country. He was sure that the dream has in fact been achieved.

"We are living in a democracy, we have democratic elections, the most recent of which were held in 2009. So I can say - yes, this is the Mozambique that Mondlane dreamed of", he said.

Predictably, Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, boycotted the ceremony, just as it has boycotted almost every formal state ceremony since Guebuza came to power in 2005 (and most of those held under his predecessor, Joaquim Chissano).

But representatives from the second largest opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Renamo (MDM), a breakaway from Renamo, were present, as were leaders of several extra-parliamentary parties.

MDM parliamentary deputy Lutero Simango told AIM "the entire people should value and pay homage to our heroes and we are here to do precisely that".

Simango added that the MDM wants to see a "more inclusive" heroes' day "because the heroes are not all buried here at this monument. Today there are heroes in our communities, districts and provinces who ought to be valued".

Simango said the challenge is to bring to the knowledge of all citizens those moments of Mozambican history that have not yet been fully revealed. "I think that one day Mozambicans will meet up with their own history", he said. "The most important thing is to teach the true history to our children because we know it has not yet been properly told. There are many versions and we urge the more honest historians to restore the true history of this country".