MBUZINI
The Death of Samora Machel
19 October 1986

Dossier MZ-0017

Names of the Victims

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

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This page presents obituaries and tributes about the people who died alongside President Samora Machel in the air disaster at Mbuzini, and whose names are recorded at the top of this page.

MHN Resources on the Victims of Mbuzini

◊ 20 October 1986
Communiqué on victims. AIM [Maputo] (20 October 1986), p.2 pages. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 87 kb. An unofficial English translation by the Mozambican news agency on the victims of Mbuzini.

◊ 22 October 1986
A força de ser de algumas das vítimas. Notícias [Maputo] (22 October 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 206 kb.

◊ 23 October 1986
South Africans let diplomat visit the injured Soviet flier. New York Times [New York] (23 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 88 kb.

Funeral of the Victims

Above: The funeral ceremony of some of the victims who died alongside President Samora Machel at Mbuzini.

◊ 24 October 1986
Communiqué on victims. MIO News review [London] (24 October 1986), p.2 pages. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 118 kb.

◊ 24 October 1986-30 October 1986
Bill Martin. Aquino’s luck runs out. Weekly Mail [Johannesburg] (24 October 1986-30 October 1986), p.10. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 436 kb. Points out that the Mozambican intellectual and activist Aquino de Bragança, who died in the disaster alongside Machel, had earlier survived the bomb attack that killed Ruth First and seriously injured Pallo Jordan and Bridget O’Laughlin.

◊ 27 October 1986
Joaquim Chissano. Chissano delivers eulogy for Mozambican air crash victim. Translated extract from the live broadcast on 27 October 1986, published in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 84 kb.

◊ 29 October 1986
Soviet aircrew member returns to Mozambique. Radio Mozambique broadcast in Portuguese on 29 October 1986 published in the Summary of World Broadcasts [London]. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 32 kb. Vladimir Novoselov, the flight engineer who was the only survivor among the Soviet aircrew has returned to Mozambique. The report says that he might be ‘required’ to return to give evidence to the Margo Board of Inquiry.

Elise Botha visits Novoselov

Above: The only survivor from the Soviet aircrew was Vladimir Novoselov. He was visited in hospital on by Mrs. Elize Botha (1922-1997), the wife of State President P. W. Botha, who normally kept an extremely low profile as First Lady.

◊ 31 October 1986
Victoria Brittain. Africa’s lost champions. Guardian [London] (31 October 1986). In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 721 kb. Short tributes to Aquino de Bragança, Fernando Honwana and Alcântara Santos.

◊ 2 November 1986
Habitam o coração de cada um de nós: acompanhantes do presidente foram a enterrar. Tempo [Maputo] no.838 (2 November 1986), p.40-47. In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 4 Mb.

◊ 2 November 1986
Joaquim Chissano. Vidas que enriqueceram as nossas vidas. Tempo [Maputo] no.838 (2 November 1986), p.50-63. In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 3.7 Mb. Full text, with many photographs, of Chissano’s eulogy for those who fell alongside Samora at Mbuzini.

◊ 23 November 1986
Alberto Chaúque: no cumprimento do dever mais sagrado. Domingo [Maputo] (23 November 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 78 kb. Chaúque was a presidential bodyguard.

◊ 23 November 1986
Daniel Maquinasse: o guerrilheiro que lutou pela fotografia. Domingo [Maputo] (23 November 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 100 kb.

◊ 23 November 1986
Fernando Honwana: homem competente e profundamente humanista. Domingo [Maputo] (23 November 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 111 kb.

◊ 23 November 1986
Orlanda Garrine: aprumo e dedicação. Domingo [Maputo] (23 November 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 34 kb.

◊ 23 November 1986
Parente Manjate: a morte ao lado do chefe. Domingo [Maputo] (23 November 1986). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 32 k.

◊ December 1986
Allen Isaacman. Fernando Honwana. Southern Africa Report [Toronto] (December 1986), p.7. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 101 kb.

◊ December 1986
Immanuel Wallerstein. Aquino. Southern Africa Report [Toronto] (December 1986), p.6. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 101 kb.

◊ October 1987
Ricardo Rangel. Modesto e generoso, era estimado por todos: evocação de Ricardo Rangel. Notícias [Maputo] (October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 172 kb. On Daniel Maquinasse. Exact date of publication not known.

◊ 12 October 1987
Mário de Andrade and René Damien. Depoimentos sobre Aquino. Notícias [Maputo] (12 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 157 kb.

◊ 13 October 1987
Calane da Silva. Recordando Gulamo Khan: o seu amor aos amigos sobrevive em todos nós. Depoimento de Calane da Silva, seu amigo e companheiro de muitas lides. Notícias [Maputo] (13 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 136 kb.

◊ 14 October 1987
Bonifácio Gruveta. Recordando José Carlos Lobo, pessoa simples e inteligente. Depoimento de Bonifácio Gruveta, seu companheiro de infância. Notícias [Maputo] (14 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 208 kb.

◊ 15 October 1987
Carlos Tajú. Recordando Muradali Mamad Hussen, homem dinâmico, amigo e afável. Depoimento de Carlos Tajú, seu colega nos estudos e no trabalho. Notícias [Maputo] (15 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 135 kb.

◊ 17 October 1987
Daniel Mbanze. Recordando Cangela de Mendonça, homem de militância, constante e inabalável. Depoimento do Vice-Ministro Daniel Mbanze. Notícias [Maputo] (17 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 133 kb.

◊ 29 October 1987
A título póstumo, conferidos prémios a Aquino e Maquinasse, atribuição da OIJ. Notícias [Maputo] (29 October 1987). In Portuguese. Click here to download a PDF file, size 70 kb.

◊ February 1989
We salute Mozambique’s fallen. Venceremos [Harare] vol.1 no.1 (February 1989), p.6-7. In English. Click here to download a PDF file, size 1.1 Mb. An article in a solidarity magazine published by ZIMOFA.

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