Flying President off to Maputo

PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived in Maputo yesterday to attend commemorations marking the 25th anniversary of the death of Mozambique's founding President Samora Moises Machel.

Machel died in a mysterious plane crash along the border of Mozambique and South Africa on October 19 1986. He was born on September 29 1933 in the Mozambican village of Chilembene.

Speaking to journalists on his return from the 15th Comesa Summit held in Malawi over the weekend, President Mugabe described the late veteran leader as a great revolutionary.

He said Machel's name would last forever in the region due to his contribution to the liberation of many countries in Southern Africa.

President Mugabe said Frelimo's victory against the Portuguese in Mozambique formed the basis upon which many countries in the region waged their liberation struggles.

"Samora Machel was a contributor of the struggles that were fought in Southern Africa but in particular of cause the struggle in Mozambique. That struggle, the Mozambican one and its victory became the basis on which we fought our own struggle.

"Samora was a great supporter of our own struggle, a great friend of mine and a real, you might say, a real revolutionary whose name will last forever in this region," said President Mugabe.

President Mugabe was met at Maputo International Airport by Ambassador to Mozambique Agrippa Mutambara, Mozambique's minister of health Alexandre Mangu-ele, senior government officials and embassy staff, he was seen off at Harare International Airport by Vice President John Landa Nkomo and several Government officials.

The President is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa and senior Government officials.

Vice President John Landa Nkomo is the Acting President.

President Machel, who was the first leader of independent Mozambique, was on his way back from an international meeting in Zambia in the presidential Tupolev TU 134 aircraft when the plane crashed in the Lebombo Mountains near Mbuzini.

There were nine survivors but President Machel and 24 others died including ministers and officials of the Mozambican government.

Although several years before the plane went down, President Machel had signed a non-aggression pact with South Africa, and there was strong suspicion that the apartheid regime was involved in the crash.

Just two weeks before the plane crashed, South African soldiers (SADF) were injured by land mines near the spot where the borders of Mozambique, South Africa and Swaziland converge.

The site was very close to where the Tupolev TU134 went down leading to the strong suspicion.

President Mugabe was met at Maputo International Airport by Ambassador to Mozambique Agrippa Mutambara, Mozambique's minister of health Alexandre Manguele, senior government officials and embassy staff, he was seen off at Harare International Airport by Vice President John Landa Nkomo and several Government officials.

The President is accompanied by accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa and senior Government officials.

Vice President John Landa Nkomo is the Acting President.