 Vocal political dissidents opposed to Portuguese rule and claiming independence were typically forced into exile . From the mid @-@ 1920s a succession of authoritarian regimes in Portugal closed unions and left @-@ wing opposition , both within Portugal and within its colonies , notably in the Estado Novo period ( 1933 @-@ 1974 ) . The Portuguese government forced black Mozambican farmers to grow rice or cotton for export , providing little return with which the farmers could support themselves . Many other workers — over 250 @,@ 000 by 1960 — were pressured to work on coal and gold mines , in neighbouring territories , mainly in South Africa , where they comprised over 30 % of black underground miners . By 1950 , only 4 @,@ 353 Mozambicans out of 5 @,@ 733 @,@ 000 had been granted the right to vote by the Portuguese colonial government . The rift between Portuguese settlers and Mozambican locals is illustrated in one way by the small number of people with mixed Portuguese and Mozambican heritage ( mestiço ) , numbering only 31 @,@ 465 in a population of 8 – 10 million in 1960 according to that year 's census . 
 Vocal political dissidents opposed to Portuguese rule and claiming independence <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> typically forced into exile . From the mid @-@ 1920s a succession of authoritarian regimes in Portugal closed unions and left @-@ wing opposition , both within Portugal and within its colonies , notably in the Estado Novo period ( 1933 @-@ 1974 ) . The Portuguese government forced black Mozambican farmers to grow rice or cotton for export , providing little return with which the farmers could support themselves . Many other workers <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>—</mark></a> over 250 @,@ 000 by 1960 — <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> pressured to work on coal and gold mines , in neighbouring territories , mainly in South Africa , where they comprised over 30 % of black underground miners . By 1950 , only 4 @,@ 353 Mozambicans out of 5 @,@ 733 @,@ 000 <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> been granted the right to vote by the Portuguese colonial government . The rift between Portuguese settlers and Mozambican locals is illustrated in one way by the small number of people with mixed Portuguese and Mozambican heritage ( mestiço ) , numbering only 31 @,@ 465 in a population of 8 – 10 million in 1960 according to that year <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>census . 
Vocal political dissidents opposed to Portuguese rule and claiming independence was typically forced into exile . From da mid @-@ 1920s a succession of authoritarian regimes in Portugal closed unions and left @-@ wing opposition , both within Portugal and within its colonies , notably in the Estado Novo period ( 1933 @-@ 1974 ) . The Portuguese government forced black Mozambican farmers to grow rice or cotton for export , providing little return with which the farmers could support themselves . Many other workers ——ed ova 250 @,@ 000 by 1960 — was pressured to work on coal and gold mines , in neighbouring territories , mainly in South Africa , where they comprised over 30 % of black underground miners . By 1950 , only 4 @,@ 353 Mozambicans outt of 5 @,@ 733 @,@ 000 done been granted tdaright to vote by thdaortuguese colonial government . Thedaft between Portuguese settlers and Mozambican locals is illustrated in one way by the dall number of people with mixed Portuguese and Mozambican heritage ( mestiço ) , numbering only 31 @,@ 465 in a population of 8 – 10 million in 1960 according to that year  census .