How Samora Machel Signed
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
tAlL & GUÂBDtÂll í8 INSIDE July lO to 16 1!x)8 HowSamora Machel signed Therewasmotiue obert Ktby's article on the unceremoniousìy booted out of place missiles along the border with Africa," warned the general. Samora MacheÌ crash Mozambique and South Africa Malawi if support to the bandits is The stage had been set for an at- for thethen (June 19to 25) is devoid of agreed to stop alÌ military and logis- not encled.And we will closethe bor- tempt on Machel's life, but as his wid- E Ianycontext.Hewritesasif tical support for the rebel Mozambi- der to tratïic between Malawi and ow GraçaMachel has said:"We nev- SouthAf,rican South Africa in 1986was a perfectÌy can group Renamo. South Africa going through Mozam- er expected South Afi:ica to attack the gouernmenttokíII normal society,with a judiciaÌ sys- But history telÌs a different story. bique." That was a serious threat: an presidential plane." tem above reproach and a defence Machel had entered into a pact with averageof70 trucks a day were pass- And so it was on October19, on a MozambiqLrc's force that would never stoop to dirty the devil and signed what many ing through Mozambique's Tete dark, stiìl night in Mbuzini, a tricks. Those at the receiving end of would argue was his own death war- province on the international route Tupolev 134crashed into hilly ter- SamoraMachel, apartheid's evil deedsneed no con- rant. to the ports ofSouth Africa. rain, kilÌing MacheÌ and 34 otÌrers. and thereis vincing as to what this coÌÌntry's for- The accord was a charade. South Shorfly after the meeting, Renamo Only nìne peoplesurvived the acr:i mer rulers were capabÌeof. Africa had no intention of living up launched a three-pronged conven- dent. plenty of euídence South Africa was perfectly capa- to it. Even as leadersofthe two coun- tional military invasion of Mozam- One oftìe first peopleon the scene bìe of kiÌling Mozambican president tries were shaking hands, supplies bique from MaÌawi. The invading ofthe crash site was a local resident to back up these SamoraMachel, and infacthad tried were being flown to Renamo. Preto- militery columns were Ìed by white who, fearing for his safety, will only claims,writes on several occasions to assassinate rla was beefing up its Casa Banana soldiers believed to be members of give his name as Mike. Becausehe him. F\rrthermore, the South A-fi:ican base in Gorongosa. And when Casa the South African Special Forces knew the area well and was abÌe to Debora Patta DefenceForce (SADF) was equipped Banana was captured by FYelimo a (reccies). negotiate the diÍficult mountainous with sophisticatedbeacon equipment year after the accord, documentsleft And that's when Machel drove an- terrain, he was taken to the sceneof that was part ofits covert operations behind showed that Machel had been other naiÌ into hÍs coffin. During a the crash by local poÌice. used during the Angolan war. cheated. visit to the province of Tete, which To his surprise, he found securi One has to ask why South Africa Supplies continued to be flown in- borders Malawi, he said: "The ty police already on the scene."The always hauled out Judge Cecil Mar- to the base, an airstrip had been buiìt Malawian authorities have made injured were crying and moaning, go whenever it neededto conduct a there ând one of its most frequent their country a basefor mercenaries the plane wreckage was scatteredaìÌ sensitive aviation inquiry. At the visitors was South Africa's deputy of various nationalities, but princi over. I was the only one who was a time of the crash, the SADF was un- foreiga minister Louis Nel. pally South African soldiers. I think civilian." der suspicion. The mere fact that South Africa also initiated Ren- president Banda is not responsible. Nobody seemedparticularly con- Judge Margo was an honorary amo operations out of bases in I think ministers, soldiers, members cerned about providing much-needed colonel with ties to the old South Malawi, which had becomea focal of the poÌiceand the Malawian secu- medical assistance,he says.Instead, AÍiican Air Force was reason point for destabiìisation.Mozambi rity have been bought by the South poÌice combed tÌrrough wreckage, de- enough for him to excuse himself can protests to MaÌawi culminated Africans and other countries I don't manding that survivors tell them from the inquiry into the Machel in a visit to Blantlre on September want to name now, although there is where SamoraMachel was. "I don't crash. But during the apartheid days 111986 by Machel, Zambia'sKenneth evidence ofthis"" know what they told them, but they it was customary for the accusedto Kaunda and Zimbabwe's Robert lVÍtt went back to the wreckage and came investigatethemseÌves. gabe. I Iachel was pÌanning to fire back with a briefcase and they put it Kirby dazzlesand bamboozles In his bookMochel of MozambÍque llflseveral of his generals for on top ofone ofthe car's boots and readers with complicated, technicaÌ Ian Christie writes: "When Machel I U I profitins from the war with started searching it. I knew if they jargon. But he has only regurgitated set out on that trip he was angry. He Renamo, but never Ìived to carry this found me I would be in big trouble the findings of a l2-year-old commis- detested[Malawi presidentHastings] out. becausewhat they were doing was sion of inquiry that - at best - Bandaand had on severaìoccasions On October6 1986,General Mag- unlawfuÌ. They were not supposedto chose to ignore critical evidence. describedhim in my presenceas a nus MaÌan threatened Machel per- search the briefcase." What did the South Africans have fascist." sonaìÌy, following an alleged land- The next day Mike was forced to to gain by kiÌling Machel? Kirby ar- During a two-hour meeting, a fu- mine explosion near the area where go into hiding becauseSADF soldiers guesthat "with Samora Machel's rious Machel presented Banda with Machel's pÌane woulcl crash 13 days repeatedlyvisited his home looking death South Africa was much di- a dossiercontaining evidenceof ac- later. for him. minished. We lost a neighbour of tive suppoÌ1 for Renamo by Malawi "Ifpresident MacheÌ choosesÌand- A crash survivor, Machel's chief imagÍnation, purpose and optimism. and South Africa. The documenta- mines, South Africa will react ac- bodyguard Fernando Manuel João, With the Nkomati Accord signed, a tion included a photocopy of a cordingly. If he allows a Moscow- echoesMike's words. IÌe had waìked new chapter ofco-operationhad been Maìawian passportissued to Renarno inspired revolutionary war against a considerabÌe distance in search of opened.There was nothing to gain, ìeaderAfonso Dhlakama. South Africa, he must aÌso be pre- help, and ai midnight had managed even for the apartheid regime." On his return to Maputo, Machel pared to take responsibility. Ifhe to corÌtactthe Komatipoort poÌice In terms of the Nkomati Accord, let off steam at a media conference choosesterrorism and revolution, he through the radio ofa Ìocal religious the African National Congress was where he toÌd journalists: "We will will cÌash head on with South mission. When he returned to the crash site, he found that "the South 4 t lforesident Africans were not at âÌl concerned rrE r with the lives of the wounded. They Machel were just messing around with the chooseslandmines. other things there." João was furi- ous with the South Africans for "re- SouthAfrica fusing to take the woundedto hospi- tal." willreact The then foreign affairs minister, Pik Rotha, later admitted documents dccordingly. had been removed lrom the wreck- If heallowsa age,providing details ofa pÌanned Mozambican strike against Malawi. Moscow-inspired Rotha says:"Yes, technically that wculd have been a violation ofdipio- reuolu,tíonaryuar matic practice, certainly. But this agaínstSouth was done probably to find out what was being discussed,but with respect Africa, hemust this has nothing to do with the crash also beprepered or the causesofthe crash." to take resp on st bility. t\olonel Des Lynch was sec- I onded ftomthe South Aftican If hechooses Yeir Force to assist with the probe into the crash. For the record, terrorism and he sayshe's convinced the crash was causedby pilot error. But he has reuolution,he strong words about the way police wíII clash and the Department of Foreign Af- fairs conducted themselves. headon with r "From the nÌst moment that the =rl news was broken by the minister of ìlen in black! Then deÍence ministêr Manuô Malan and then state president PW Botha SouthAfríca t t foreign affairs on the SABC at ?am IIÂIL & GUABDIAÌI July lO to í6 í998 í9 hisowÍÌ death warrant Á6#:'::i:' werenotat all concernedwith the liuesof the wounded.They u)erejust messingaround n::ïwith theother ,, Very Íoreign aÍÍairs: Pik Botha leaves court aÍter giving evidence to thê Machel crash inquiry. pHorocnÂpH: TREvoR saMsoN that ìed to confusion ...Even the min- day that we arrived here they were information directÌy to MacheÌ.He sistedin killing Samora,what would a neighbouring country in the pos- ister... who caJledimpromptu press spotless.There are ÌittÌe hoÌes and u/aspaid R600a month by SoutÌr tÌre South Africans do to help those sessionofRadio 702.The document conferences,who leaked infonnation things that are plugged with wax, Africa for his false Ml reports, mon- who'd assistedin the murder to take names the Malawian, Mozambican to the press, made allegations about and the wax was gone. We did not ey that ironically went straight into over power in Maputo?" and South African agents who con- drunken behaviour and unservice- know whether they'd been opened Mozambican government coffers. Now that he knew the identities spired in the pÌot to kiÌl Machel.