MBOMBELA –33 years on, South Africa and Mozambique will come together to remember the life of former Mozambique president, Samora Machel and his compatriots who died in a plane crash in Mbuzini.
President Machel and 33 of his compatriots died when the plane – a Tupolev TU 134A-3 - they were travelling in crashed in the mountains of Mbuzini near Komatipoort on 19 October 1986. They were returning home following a meeting in Lusaka, Zambia when the accident happened near the borders of Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa connects. Since the incident, October is a period set aside to commemorate the tragic death of the former statesman and his compatriots.
"The commemoration is aimed at acknowledging, celebrating and preserving history for future generations and also highlighting struggle heroes of the liberation struggle. Both countries will always commemorate the lives that were lost in the crash," explains the department's Sibongile Nkosi.
The programme includes a wreath-laying ceremony and a tour of the Samora Machel Museum. As an honour to his contributions, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government opened the Samora Machel Museum in Mbuzini, which features a photographic exhibition based on the socio-political history of Machel and his rise in the political hierarchy. The site has been developed and upgraded as a contribution of the province to keep the legacy of Machel and his countrymen alive for future generations. It now boasts an amphitheatre, ablution block and the museum.