Why did Portuguese development plans in the 1950s and 1960s create resentment among Africans in Mozambique?

Portuguese development plans in the 1950s and 1960s created significant resentment among Africans in Mozambique because they were designed to prioritize the interests of the Portuguese state and settlers at the expense of the indigenous population.12

While these plans aimed to upgrade transportation and communications infrastructure, they functioned to facilitate capital accumulation for Portugal and Portuguese-owned businesses. During this period, thousands of Portuguese settlers arrived to occupy employment and business opportunities that were systematically denied to Africans. Furthermore, the colonial regime maintained strict control over the economic and physical mobility of Africans, effectively marginalizing them across all social classes.12

By promoting policies that favored settlers while excluding most Africans from managerial or highly skilled positions, the colonial authorities deepened existing inequalities. This systemic discrimination, combined with the regime's harsh suppression of political dissent through imprisonment, deportation, or execution, fueled widespread discontent and ultimately catalyzed the formation of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and the subsequent struggle for independence.123