Maputo, 20 Oct (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has called for continued efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of the country’s first president, Samora Moisés Machel, who died in a plane crash in Mbuzini, South Africa, 40 years ago.
Speaking on Monday at a ceremony marking 40 years of the disaster, Chapo said that investigations conducted over the decades had failed to dispel all doubts about the circumstances of the crash.
“Forty years later, questions remain about the circumstances of the Mbuzini tragedy. The investigations and explanations produced over these decades have not eliminated all doubts,” Chapo said.
He stressed that the families of the victims and the Mozambican and South African peoples have the right to know the truth about the events of that night.
He also reaffirmed the Mozambican State’s commitment to preserving the memory and dignity of all those who lost their lives.
The crash occurred on 19 October 1986, when the aircraft carrying Machel, who was returning from a diplomatic mission, went down in South African territory, killing 35 people, including Machel, members of his delegation, journalists, diplomats and crew members.
Chapo also highlighted Michel’s legacy in the national liberation struggle, the building of the Mozambican state and solidarity with peoples fighting colonialism and apartheid, particularly in Southern Africa.
He said Machel’s ideals continued to inspire efforts to consolidate peace, national unity and inclusive dialogue, as well as Mozambique’s pursuit of economic independence.
Chapo identified increasing domestic production, processing the country’s natural resources and creating jobs, particularly for young people and women, as priorities for national development.
For his part, Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Affairs, representing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, praised the historic ties of friendship and solidarity between the two countries.
“The tragedy remains one of the most painful chapters in the history of our liberation struggle in Southern Africa. It also symbolizes our shared sacrifices and the ties that unite the peoples of South Africa and Mozambique,” Lamola said.
Lamola also highlighted economic cooperation between the two countries, saying that more than 2,500 commercial trucks cross the Maputo Corridor daily in both directions and that around 300 South African companies operate in Mozambique, supporting more than 40,000 jobs.
(AIM)
Lt/Zt/Am/