Mbuzini:Mpumalanga The South African government will honor the life of the late Mozambican President Samora Machel, who was the first President of independent Mozambique, along with the 34 individuals who perished in a plane crash in Mbuzini, Mpumalanga province. This commemorative event is scheduled for Monday at the Samora Machel Monument and Museum.

According to South African Government News Agency, the event will carry the theme "Commemorating Lifelong Dedication to the People of Southern Africa Honouring All Victims of the Mbuzini Tragedy," marking the 40th anniversary of the tragedy in 2026.

The objectives of the event include honoring the lives lost in the crash and highlighting Mozambique's role in supporting the liberation of South Africa and other Southern African countries. It also aims to promote liberation heritage as a means of fostering social cohesion, nation-building, and economic development, along with engaging the public through educational programs and dialogues on the significance of resistance and liberation heritage.

President Samora Machel died on October 19, 1986, in the plane crash while returning to Mozambique from a summit in Zambia. The crash resulted in 35 fatalities, including President Machel and his compatriots, among them journalists and pilots. The incident occurred on South African soil near the Mozambican border in Mpumalanga.

Machel played a pivotal role in Mozambique's liberation from Portuguese colonial rule and was instrumental in supporting liberation movements in Southern Africa, including South Africa's struggle against apartheid. The Mbuzini Anniversary is observed every five years nationally and annually by the Mpumalanga provincial government.