SOUTH AFRICA AND MOZAMBIQUE TO COME TOGETHER TO COMMEMORATE THE LIFE OF THE LATE PRESIDENT SAMORA MACHEL The Government of South African and During his leadership, President Samora Mozambique will commemorate the 30th Machel supported and allowed revolutionar- Anniversary of President Samora Machel’s ies fighting the apartheid regime to operate tragic death, on Monday, 17 October 2016 within Mozambique. This included the ANC at the Samora Machel Museum in Mbuzini, military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe. This Nkomazi Municipality, Mpumalanga Prov- made the apartheid regime inimical to the ince. Frontline States, whom they sought to destabilise, at every turn. The late former President of Mozambique was killed in a tragic plane crash in Lebombo The present democratic government of Mountains in 1986 upon his return from an South Africa continues to enjoy a strong international meeting with African leaders. relationship with Mozambique based on There were suspicions that the crash was a historic ties and geographical proxim- deliberate act of sabotage masterminded ity, with Mozambique having played a key by the apartheid regime of South Africa. role during the liberation struggles against apartheid and colonial oppression. The In 1994, after the first democratically elected integration of the Southern African Devel- government in South Africa, an investiga- opment Community (SADC) remains criti- tion by the Truth and Reconciliation Com- cal for the economic development of the mission (TRC) found inconclusive evidence region. pointing at the apartheid government’s involvement in the crash. The 30th Anniversary of Samora Machel forms part of the Legacy Projects initiative Born in 1933 at Chilembene village, Gaza led by the Department of Arts and Culture province in Mozambique, after completing aimed at redressing and transforming the his fourth grade, Samora Machel worked heritage landscape to truly tell our libera- as a nurse in Maputo for ten years before tion journey from colonial times, during the joining Mozambique Liberation Front liberation struggle and the democratic era. (Frelimo). We call upon citizens of both countries to He then became the Mozambican revo- commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the lutionary leader and military commander passing of President Samora Machel and to who led the Mozambican people in their pay tribute to all those who lost their lives struggle for independence from Portugal on this tragic day in our history. Let there be and eventually became the country’s first continued peace and friendship between president in 1975 until 1986. the South African and Mozambican people. .