South Africa, Mozambique to honour former president Machel 40 years after plane crash

The late Mozambican president and freedom fighter Samora Machel will be remembered on Monday at a joint ceremony by South Africa and Mozambique to mark 40 years since he tragically died in a plane crash.

The ceremony is set to take place in Mbuzini, an area in South Africa's Mpumalanga province near the plane crash site.

Machel was Mozambique’s leader after it gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975 until his untimely death in 1986.

His death sent shock waves throughout the continent, where he was an outspoken and revered anti-colonial voice.

An inquiry into the cause of the plane crash that killed Machel and 34 other people blamed the pilots, but 40 years after his death, there are still questions about what really happened.

Here’s what to know about Machel and the plane crash that killed one of Africa’s leading political figures:

What happened on Oct. 18, 1986?

On this day, Machel was killed alongside some members of his cabinet, journalists and flight crew members when the plane they were traveling in crashed into the Lebombo Mountains in the South African area of Mbuzini near the Mozambique and Eswatini border.

They were returning from a meeting of regional leaders in Zambia.

A South Africa-led investigation into the plane crash blamed the pilots for the crash and ruled out any foul play.

South Africa says the event on Monday honouring Machel will take place under the theme: “Commemorating Lifelong Dedication to the People of Southern Africa: Honouring All Victims of the Mbuzini Tragedy”.