Alberto Joaquim Chipande (born 10 October 1939)[1] is a Mozambican politician and a long-time leading member of FRELIMO.

He was the first Defense Minister of Mozambique upon independence in 1975, remaining in that post until at least 1986 under President Samora Machel.

Chipande was also a member of the Political Bureau of FRELIMO, which ran the government for 18 days in late 1986 after the death of Machel.

Chipande is credited with firing the first shots of the war for independence from Portugal on 25 September 1964.

[3] Chipande was re-elected to the FRELIMO Central Committee at the party's November 2006 congress.