The memory of decolonization still marks the Portuguese community in South Africa.

Portuguese councilor Vasco Pinto de Abreu acknowledged that the Portuguese community in South Africa is very marked by the process of decolonization and believes that Portugal and the liberation movements should apologize to the former Portuguese settlers and their descendants.

“I am one of the victims of this exemplary decolonization and so far no one has tried to apologize for what happened,” a Portuguese adviser in South Africa told Lusa.

“You should at least say a word about what happened. And at least regret what happened, there were families that were separated, families that were separated, as for my case, and so far not a word of understanding, rather at least on the contrary, they continue to talk about the colonizers of this and that, when many of us are already the second and third generation born in the former colonies,” he stressed.

According to Vasco Pinto de Abreu, councilor of the consular district of Johannesburg, the opinion of those who were forced to leave is different: “we were full citizens of these countries, and we were evicted from these territories, there were many deportees, and others where conditions thus forced him go to Portugal.

President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is on an official visit to South Africa from 5 to 8 June, in his speech at the solemn commemorative session dedicated to the 49th anniversary of the 25th anniversary of April in the Assembly of the Republic.

“It also helps us look back at Brazil. But it would also be possible with respect to all colonization and decolonization and take full responsibility for what we have done,” he said.

“It’s not just an apology – no doubt a due one – for what we’ve done, because sometimes it’s the easiest thing to apologize, you apologize, turn your back, and it’s done. No, it takes responsibility for the future of what we did in the past, good and bad,” he defended.

Almost fifty years after decolonization, those who were victims of armed violence and were forced to leave and leave property in Mozambique and Angola are still waiting for compensation from the Portuguese state.

In December 1994, a petition was submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, which collected more than five thousand signatures, which asserted “the right of former foreign residents to fair compensation.” The petition was discussed only ten years later, when the SDP government approved the creation of an interministerial working group, but without any practical result.