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On October 19, 1986, Mozambique’s President Samora Machel died successful a level clang adjacent Mbuzini, South Africa, adjacent to the Mozambique border, on with respective people.
The level that crashed was a Tupolev Tu-134, a Soviet-made twin-engine pitchy airliner, registered arsenic CCCP-65795, operated by a Soviet crew.
It was carrying Machel and different Mozambican officials from a acme successful Zambia backmost to Maputo, Mozambique. At the clip of the crash, determination were 44 radical connected board. Tragically, 34 radical died, including Machel himself.
Among the deceased were respective ministers and elder officials of the Mozambican government, arsenic good arsenic members of the formation crew.
Samora Machel Dies After a Plane Crush
The survivors included 9 passengers and 1 unit member. The summit, called the Frontline States, attended by Mozambique’s President, focused connected coordinating efforts against South Africa’s apartheid authorities and discussing determination security, particularly regarding South African destabilization activities successful neighbouring countries.
It was convened to code escalating tensions successful confederate Africa, notably South Africa’s enactment for rebel groups similar RENAMO successful Mozambique’s civilian warfare and its broader destabilization efforts against neighboring nations.
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As a cardinal fig successful the anti-apartheid question and person of the Frontline States conjugation opposing apartheid, Machel aimed to coordinate strategies with determination leaders to antagonistic South Africa’s actions. The acme featured leaders specified arsenic Zambia’s President Kenneth Kaunda, Zaire’s President Mobutu Sese Seko, and representatives from different African nations.
After Machel’s death, the Mozambican government, led by FRELIMO, criticized South African authorities for not instantly informing them astir the crash, which occurred successful South African territory adjacent Mbuzini, adjacent to the Mozambique border.
Mozambique Government Rejects Claim That Plane Crash Was Due to Pilot Error
Several reports bespeak that the Mozambican authorities was notified astir the clang by the South African authorities astir 12 hours later.
Following Machel’s death, respective theories emerged, including allegations of assassination by South Africa’s apartheid regime, which had tense relations with him. Machel had accused the apartheid authorities of backing the rebel radical RENAMO to destabilize his government.
According to immoderate Mozambicans, South Africa allegedly utilized a mendacious navigational beacon to mislead Machel’s Soviet-piloted Tupolev Tu-134. A misleading VOR beacon adjacent Mbuzini reportedly caused the craft to veer disconnected people toward South African territory.
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Survivors and Soviet officials insisted the unit was experienced and would not person made specified an mistake unless deliberately misled. However, the apartheid authorities denied this, and the Margo Commission, established by the South African government, concluded that the clang resulted from aviator error, a ruling rejected by Mozambique and the Soviet Union.
They called for an planetary investigation, alleging that the clang was owed to South African sabotage, specifically the usage of a mendacious navigational beacon.
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Photo of the precocious Mozambique President Samora Machel. PHOTO/Real Life Heroes
