South Africa and Mozambique on Monday mark 40 years since the plane crash that killed Samora Machel, Mozambique’s first president after independence, and 34 others in the Lebombo Mountains near Mbuzini.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mozambican President Daniel Chapo are leading the joint commemoration at the Samora Machel Monument and Museum in Mbuzini, Nkomazi Local Municipality, Mpumalanga.
The event is being held under the theme: “Commemorating Lifelong Dedication to the People of Southern Africa: Honouring All Victims of the Mbuzini Tragedy”. cf28
Machel was returning from a regional summit in Mbala, Zambia, where Frontline States leaders had met to discuss regional security, when his Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-134A crashed on South African soil near the borders of Mozambique and Eswatini.
According to the South African government, the commemoration seeks to honour the lives of Machel and the 34 others who died, highlight Mozambique’s role in the liberation of South Africa and other Southern African countries, and promote resistance and liberation heritage as a vehicle for social cohesion and nation-building. a797
Machel became Mozambique’s first president in 1975 after independence from Portuguese colonial rule and was a central figure in supporting liberation movements across Southern Africa, including the ANC’s struggle against apartheid.
President Chapo’s participation is described by the Mozambican Presidency as a tribute to the memory of Samora Machel, founder of the independent Mozambican state, and an opportunity to preserve historical memory and pass on the values of independence to younger generations. f81a
Forty years later, the crash remains contested. A South African inquiry under apartheid attributed it to pilot error, while Mozambican and Soviet investigators questioned that finding and raised the possibility of a false navigational beacon diverting the aircraft. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission later examined the case but did not reach a conclusive finding and recommended further investigation.
The South African government says the anniversary will also focus on raising awareness through educational programmes, dialogues and public engagements on the significance of resistance and liberation heritage.
The commemoration at the monument, which marks the exact crash site in Mbuzini, is expected to draw veterans of the liberation struggle, families of the victims and government officials from both countries.
