President Machel will be remembered for leading his beloved country Mozambique to independence from Portugal in 1975. He thereafter, had the challenging task of leading his people in their struggle against the damage of war and internal strife. He was a charismatic and popular leader. Samora Machel was born in the Chokwe District of Mozambique's Gaza province on 29 September 1933. He went to school in Maputo (then Lourenco Marques) and became a medical assistant. In 1963 he joined Frelimo in Tanzania and was sent to Algeria for training. In 1968 he became the commander of Frelimo's armed forces and in 1970 he became the sole leader of Frelimo. After independence in 1975 Frelimo helped to fight white rule in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia). President Machel formed a non-aggression pact with Pretoria, the Komati Accord, to promote stabilization and peace in the region.
On the 19th of October 1986, the Mozambican Presidential aircraft, Tupolev TU 134A-3 was returning from Zambia after the Lusaka Summit. President Samora Machel and 34 others died when the plane crashed in the mountainous terrain of Mbuzini, Mpumalanga Province. The crash site is in the little triangle where the borders of Swaziland and Mozambique meet the South African border.
This site where the Mbuzini disaster occurred marks the tragic end of the life of one of Southern Africa's greatest political leaders and freedom fighters who struggled for liberation, peace, harmony and development in the region. This is the symbol of the struggles of the people of Mozambique, South Africa and part of the neglected history of Southern Africa.
