Cause of crash that killed President Samora Machel questioned

MBUZINI, Mozambique 

Relatives of the victims of the Mbuzini crash that killed Mozambique’s President Samora Machel and 34 others asked the South African and Mozambican authorities on Tuesday to reopen the commission of inquiry into the causes of the disaster.

“We appeal to the South African and Mozambican government to reactivate the investigation commission, to determine the causes of this tragic accident and find those responsible for the Mbuzini tragedy. This is the question we often ask,” said Alberto Júnior, son of the former National Chief of Protocol [Alberto Cangela de Mendonça], speaking on behalf of the victims’ families.

The intervention took place during a ceremony in Mbuzini, South Africa, at the memorial and museum created at the crash site and marking the 35th anniversary of the plane crash. The event was attended by presidents Cyril Ramaphosa, from South Africa, and Filipe Nyusi, from Mozambique.

According to Alberto Júnior, there are still many unanswered questions: “The truth remains unknown,” he said.

Samora Machel Júnior, son of the first Mozambican president, also told Lusa on Tuesday that the accident needed to be explained and that the authorities lacked “urgency” regarding the investigation.

Speaking on the sidelines of the memorial ceremony, Machel Júnior added that, from the family’s point of view, “there doesn’t seem to be much urgency to resolve this case”.

While acknowledging the complexity of the case, Machel Júnior said that clarification could bring “some peace” to the family, even after 35 years.

“We know this is not a simple process. We realize that it takes some time, but we need to bring some peace of mind to the family. We want to straighten this out and move on,” he said.

The first Mozambican president died on October 19, 1986, when a Tupolev plane crashed in South Africa’s mountainous Lebombo area, near the border with Mozambique.

Samora Machel and another 25 Mozambican members of his escort (26 persons), two ambassadors, four members of the Soviet crew and two Cuban doctors died. As a result, a total of 34 people died in the crash of the TU 134. There survived nine Mozambicans and the Soviet board engineer, thus 10 persons. A total of 44 people were in the plane on this flight. One of the survivors died in January 1987 as a result of the crash: Eusébio Guido Martinho. This increased the number of deaths to 35.

The accident sparked allegations of sabotage against the then South African ‘apartheid’ administration. An inquiry initiated by the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 1994 was inconclusive as to its causes.

Samora Machel, 53, was returning from a conference of African leaders in Lusaka, Zambia, and lost his life along with fellow party members, ministers, dignitaries, officials, flight attendants  and members of the Russian aircraft’s crew.

Accident victims:

• Luís Maria de Alcântara Santos- Minister of Transport and Communications;
• José Carlos Lobo – Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs;
• Aquino de Bragança – Director of the Center for African Studies;
• Fernando Honwana – Special Assistant to His Excellency, the President of the Republic;
• Alberto Cangela de Mendonça – Head of the National Protocol;
• Muradali Mamadhusen– Private Secretary to His Excellency, the President of the Republic;
• João Tomás Navesse – Deputy Director of the Directorate of Legal and Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Ivete Amós – Secretary of His Excellency, the President of the Republic;
• Osvaldo de Sousa – English interpreter of the President;
• Bernardino Chiche – French interpreter
• Gulamo Khan – Press Attaché at the Presidency of the Republic;
• Azarias Inguane – Photographer of Jornal Notícias;
• Fernando Nhanquila – Flight Engineer;
• Daniel Maquinasse – President’s private photographer
• Capitão Parente Manjate – member of staff of the Presidency;
• NacirCharamadame -member of staff of the Presidency;
• Adão Gore Nhoca – member of staff of the Presidency
• Eduardo Viegas- member of staff of the Presidency;
• Albino Falteira – member of staff of the Presidency;
• Alberto Chaúque – member of staff of the Presidency;
• José Quivanane – member of staff of the Presidency.
• Orlando Garrine – Flight attendant;
• Esmeralda Luísa – Flight attendant;
• Sofia Arone – Flight Attendant;
• Ilda Carão – Flight Attendant;

The following international collaborators also perished in Mbuzini:

• Henriques Bettencourt – Doctor of His Excellency, the President of the Republic;
• Ulisses La Rosa Mesa – Personal Doctor of His Excellency, the President of the Republic;
• Iuri Novdran – Aircraft Commander;
• IgorKartmychev- Flight Engineer;
• Amatoli Choulipov – Flight Engineer;
• Cox. C. Sikumba – Ambassador of the Republic of Zambia
• Tokwalu Batale – Ambassador of the Republic of Zaire

The following members of the presidential delegation survived the tragic event:

Eusébio Guido Martinho (later deceased- on January 1987-  as a result of the crash); Captain Carlos Jambo; Captain Carlos Rendição; Fernando Manuel João; Almeida Pedro; Manuel Jairosse; Daniel Cuna; Jossefa Machango; Vasco Langa; Vladimir Novoselov – Flight Engineer.