The Genesis Of “ALUTA Continua”

The Genesis Of “ALUTA Continua”

“ALUTA Continua” has become a general word used by the Nigerian Students, more so, by the Students Revolutionaries, Comrades and Activists. ALUTA Spirit which is the Spirit to fight for one’s rights by engaging in peaceful/nonviolent demonstration of an ungodly act by any form of Government or school management became a Spirit inbuilt to Nigerian Students with the belief of Injury to one is an injury to all.

Aluta Continua is a Portuguese saying meaning “The struggle continues”. It is highly believed that it was discovered as an inscription on Kunta Kinte’s commemorate.
The correct wording of the phrase is actually “A luta continua, vitória é certa” meaning, “The struggle continues, victory is certain”. However, it has been corrupted over the years and is more likely written as: “Aluta Continua, Victoria Acerta”.

A luta continua was the rallying cry of the FRELIMO movement during Mozambique’s war for independence. The phrase is Portuguese (the official language of the former Portuguese colony) and was used by FRELIMO leader Samora Machel to cultivate popular support against the Portuguese colonial presence.

The Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) from the Portuguese Frente de Libertação de Moçambique is the dominant political party in Mozambique. Founded in 1962, FRELIMO began as a nationalist movement fighting for the independence of the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique. Independence was achieved in June 1975 after the Carnation Revolution in Lisbon the previous year.

At the party’s 3rd Congress in February 1977, it became an officially Marxist–Leninist political party. It identified as the Frelimo Party (Partido Frelimo). Machel became the first president of an independent Mozambique in 1975 and continued to use the phrase “a luta continua” as an unofficial national motto.

A luta continua is also widely used in Nigeria by students and activists. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) utilizes this phrase at every given opportunity. Protests, riots, and other actions to demand for the rights of Nigerian students are termed as “Aluta”. It is the motto of all Nigerian Students Union across all academic institutions of higher education. Mostly phrased as Aluta Continua Victoria Acerta.

In Nigerian student leaders also do claim that they are in Aluta Republic and their President claims to be the Commander-in-Chief of Aluta Forces. They always answer the phrase with another phrase: “A vitória é certa” meaning “Victory is certain”. “Aluta continua… victória é certa” “The struggle continues… …victory is certain”. Increased usage of the term has also been noted during the 2016 South African Fees Must Fall protests.