MBUZINI
The Death of Samora Machel
19 October 1986

Dossier MZ-0017

Samora Machel:
Obituaries and Tributes

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The October Crisis Premonitions of Disaster The Crash
Regional Reaction Accusations and Denials The Funeral of Samora
The three commissions of investigation The succession and aftermath The Victims of Mbuzini
Blank button The Succession to the Presidency Blank button

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This page presents a selection of contemporary obituaries and tributes to Samora Machel published in regional and other newspapers and magazines in the immediate aftermath of the Mbuzini tragedy.

Samora vive

Above: A poster in memory of Machel issued a year after his death. The caption translates as «Samora lives on in each one of us».

MHN Resources

◊ 20 October 1986
Leader’s humble origins. Herald [Harare] (20 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 265 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
African martyr. Herald [Harare] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 111 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
Driving spirit of a nation’s struggle. New Nation [Johannesburg] (21 October 1986), p.7. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 820 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
Enormous implications for Southern Africa: tributes pour in for Maputo leader. Citizen [Johannesburg] (21 October 1986), p.4. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 140 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
His dream: man, a world renewed. New Nation [Johannesburg] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 202 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
Machel: fiery and charismatic leader. Citizen [Johannesburg] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 320 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
President Samora Machel. Times [London] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 345 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
Quest for freedom was life’s goal. Herald [Harare] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 75 kb.

◊ 21 October 1986
Albin Krebs. Samora M. Machel, man of charisma: he held impoverished nation together by personality. New York Times [New York] (21 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 136 kb.

◊ 24 October 1986
The arch-enemy of racism. Star [Johannesburg] (24 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 498 kb.

◊ 24 October 1986-30 October 1986
Iain Christie. The Machel I knew: what Frelimo’s leader taught me about racism. Weekly Mail [Johannesburg] (24 October 1986-30 October 1986), p.10. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 326 kb. Iain Christie was the author of a biography of Machel published in both English and in Portuguese.

◊ 26 October 1986
A great man. Sunday Mail [Harare] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 555 kb.

◊ 26 October 1986
Machel as South Africans saw him; Machel as the world saw him. City Press [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 106 kb.

RIP cartoon from Weekly Mail

Above: A cartoon published in the South African newspaper the Weekly Mail. In MHN’s view, both the Christian symbolism of the cross and the unflattering portrayal of Machel himself were a lapse of editorial judgement in a newspaper that considered itself broadly progressive at the time. Other coverage of Mbuzini in the Weekly Mail was fairer.

◊ 26 October 1986
People’s president. City Press [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 95 kb.

◊ 26 October 1986
Mono Badela. Machel the healer. City Press [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 131 kb.

◊ 26 October 1986
John D’Oliveira. Africa has lost a shining son. Sunday Star [Review] [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 127 kb.

◊ 26 October 1986
Gerald L’Ange. Machel leaves painful legacy. Sunday Star [Review] [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 227 kb.

◊ 26 October 1986
Davison Maruziva. Mozambican president died at crucial time. Sunday Mail [Harare] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 2.3 Mb.

◊ 26 October 1986
Percy Qoboza. The noblest of them all: Percy Qoboza pays tribute to President Samora Machel. City Press [Johannesburg] (26 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 92 kb.

◊ 27 October 1986
Messages of condolence on death of Samora Machel. Summary of World Broadcasts [London] no.FE/8400/A5 (27 October 1986), p.1-2. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 143 kb. Messages of condolence from China, North Korea, India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mongolia.

◊ 27 October 1986
We’ve lost the champion of freedom: Muzenda. Herald [Harare] (October 1927). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 72 kb.

◊ 28 October 1986
Comment: death of a hero. Herald [Harare] (28 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 621 kb.

◊ 28 October 1986
UDF message of solidarity and Mozambique. Summary of World Broadcasts [London] (28 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 60 kb. Radio Mozambique broadcast of .... printed in the ....

◊ 28 October 1986
Andrew Mutandwa. Guerilla [sic] leader who radiated dignity. Herald [Harare] (28 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 97 kb.

◊ 29 October 1986
Death dealers cannot kill Machel spirit. Herald [Harare] (29 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 68 kb. Report of a speech by Canaan Banana, then president of Zimbabwe.

◊ 29 October 1986
Guardian viewpoint: a stunning loss. Guardian [New York] (29 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 101 kb.

◊ 29 October 1986
Paul Fauvet. Mozambique mourns. Guardian [New York] (29 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 204 kb.

◊ 30 October 1986
He challenged colonialists from start. Herald [Harare] (30 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 599 kb.

◊ 30 October 1986
Machel’s big role in freeing Zimbabwe. Herald [Harare] (30 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 70 kb.

◊ 30 October 1986-5 November 1986
John Saul. Marking Machel’s legacy. Now [place of publication unknown] (30 October 1986-5 November 1986), p.7-8. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 238 kb.

◊ 31 October 1986
Kurt Madörin. Samora Machel: Tod durch Überlebensversuch. Wochen Zeitung [Zürich] (31 October 1986), p.9. In German. Click here to download a PDF file, size 99 kb.

◊ 15 November 1986
Andy Higginbottom. Samora Machel: son of the Mozambican revolution. Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! [London] (15 November 1986), p.7. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 373 kb. A tribute in the newspaper of the British Revolutionary Communist Group.

◊ December 1986
Ends and beginnings: obituary. South [London] (December 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 66 kb.

◊ December 1986
John Saul. Remembering Samora Machel. Southern Africa Report [Toronto] (December 1986), p.3-5. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 278 kb.

◊ 15 October 1987
Thatcher evoca Samora. Notícias [Maputo] (15 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 44 kb.

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