In 1963, Tsafendas was granted amnesty by the Portuguese after he convinced them that he was a reformed man and no longer a Communist and was eventually allowed to return to Mozambique. A year later, Tsafendas was arrested while addressing local people in favour of independence for the colonial territory. In a suitcase containing anti-colonialist and Communist literature, Tsafendas also had several Bibles. He told the police he was not advocating independence but preaching Christianity. The Portuguese were not convinced and he was charged with "pretending to be a missionary spreading the word about religion", while actually preaching "under the guise of religion in favour of Mozambique’s independence...” According to PIDE's interrogation transcript, "When asked to describe all of the subversive activities that he has been developing against the Country and in favour of Mozambique’s independence, he answered: That, he hasn’t been developing any kind of such subversive activities against the Country, neither in favour of Mozambique’s independence. However, wishes to clarify that he supports, as a Mozambican, the idea of Mozambique’s independence, governed by the natives of that Province, whether they are black or white."