Address by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr Ronald O Lamola, on the occasion of the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of The Mbuzini Tragedy held at the Mbuzini crash site, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
Programme Director, Deputy Minister Peace Mabe;
Your Excellency, President Daniel Chapo of the Republic of Mozambique, and First Lady Mrs Chapo;
Mama Graca Machel and members of the Machel family;
Survivors of the Mbuzini Tragedy and the families of those who lost their loved ones forty years ago;
The Premier of Mpumalanga, Mr Mandla Ndlovu, and members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Government;
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers from the Republics of South Africa and Mozambique;
Governors and State Secretaries from the Republic of Mozambique;
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps based in Maputo, Ambassador Fayez Abduljawad Aiziza of Palestine;
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Kgosi Thabo Milton Seatlholo;
iNkosi Mlambo II;
All Traditional and Religious Leaders here present;
Military Veterans from Mozambique and representatives of the fraternal FRELIMO Movement;
Leaders and Members of Government from other Provinces of the Republic of South Africa;
The Executive Mayor of Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Councillor Terra Shabangu, and the leadership of the District Municipality;
The leadership of Nkomazi Local Municipality, led by Mrs Phindile Magagula;
The people of Mbuzini;
Members of the Media;
Distinguished Guests;
Bom Dia. Sanibonani. Dumelang. Good Morning.
Aluta Continua! Aluta Continua!
Indeed, The Struggle Continues.
On behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa and the people of South Africa, I extend a warm welcome to His Excellency President Daniel Chapo and the Mozambican delegation.
Both President Ramaphosa and Deputy President Mashatile had wished to join us on this momentous occasion but were unable to do so due to unavoidable commitments.
The Deputy President has subsequently entrusted me with the honour of representing him today and conveying his message of remembrance, solidarity and friendship between our two nations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We gather here on this day, 19 October, a day which marks forty (40) years since the tragic crash at Mbuzini that claimed the life of one of Africa’s most renowned liberation fighters and struggle heroes.
President Samora Machel was a stalwart of the liberation struggle who perished with thirty-four others, including Cuban doctors and Ambassadors from Zambia and Zaire as it was known then.
These were dedicated public servants, diplomats and professionals who were committed to the emancipation and development of our region.
President Machel was a man of discipline and sacrifice.
Writing in his famous essay, The Tasks Ahead in 1975, he opined about discipline. “idleness leads to relaxation, sooner or later bringing about ideological and material corruption, accompanied by lack of discipline, anarchy, chaos and defeat.”
And in his famous Beira Speech he said “the duty of each one of us [leaders] — is to give everything to the people, to be last when there are benefits to be won and first when there are sacrifices to be made. This is what it means to serve the people. Serve the people.”
These words are especially relevant for those of us who are public representative and all those standing for election in the local government polls on 4 November in South Africa.
The tragedy remains one of the most painful chapters in the history of our liberation struggle and Southern Africa. It also symbolises our shared sacrifices and the enduring bonds that unite the peoples of South Africa and Mozambique.
This memorial site is sacred ground. It reminds us of the cost of our freedom. It reminds us of the sacrifices made by those who fought for justice and that, no matter the challenges we face, we must never romanticise apartheid and colonialism.
When unveiling the Samora Machel Memorial in 1999, former President Nelson Mandela stated:
"As South Africans who loved freedom, whether we were underground, in exile, in prison, in our workplaces or in our communities, we vowed then that we would never forget, and that a fitting memorial would be created when South Africa became a democracy."
Today, forty years after the tragedy, we gather here to renew that pledge.
We honour the legacy of President Machel and memorialise all those who perished alongside him. We also celebrate the ideals they championed: freedom, human dignity, solidarity and the right of all people to determine their own future.
We remember with deep gratitude the support that Mozambique extended to South Africa's liberation struggle during some of its darkest years. Alongside other Frontline States, Mozambique bore immense political, economic and human costs because it chose to stand on the side of justice and freedom.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission report estimated that the economic cost of apartheid's destabilisation strategy to the six frontline states was in the region of 45 billion US Dollars.
The report also notes that this does not include the destruction of agriculture, industry, education and health care in countries like Mozambique.
Mozambique understood that the freedom of its own people could never be complete while the people of South Africa remained subjected to the brutality of apartheid.
tadla tiyagezana.
Today, there are those among us who believe that our national identity should disown our common heritage. A heritage that predates the entanglement of colonialists in our society.
For centuries, our people have lived alongside each other. They speak the same language. They have inter-married. They till the soil and cultivate the land together. They draw their water from the same streams.
Mihanya swingwe, mijaswinge, niminjangu iyingwe.
For this reason, President Samora Machel continues to hold a special place in the hearts of South Africans.
Not only was he a founding leader of liberated Mozambique, but he was also a committed Pan-Africanist and a friend to all who fought injustice across the world.
Even on the day of his passing, President Machel was returning from a regional summit devoted to advancing peace, stability and development in Southern Africa.
His life's work, and indeed his final journey, reflected an unwavering commitment to a better future for the people of our region.
Today, we can assert with confidence that Africa has overcome formal colonialism and minority rule.
But we must also acknowledge that the work of liberation remains incomplete.
While political freedom has opened the door, too many of our people continue to face poverty, inequality, unemployment and exclusion.
We must continue to stabilize Carbo Delgado, Conflict and instability persist in parts of our continent, denying millions the opportunity to live in peace, realise their potential and share in Africa's progress.
The focus must now be on achieving what our generation defined as economic freedom in our lifetime. We must also consolidate the gains of democracy.
As long as the challenges of unemployment, poverty, inequality and violent crime in all its manifestations persist, our responsibility is clear.
We must build better communities where everyone feels safe.
We must ensure that our people enjoy the dividends of democracy and experience the highest level of service delivery.
We must build local economies that create jobs, expand opportunity and restore dignity.
And we must unlock the potential of our people, especially our youth, and create conditions that allow talent, innovation and enterprise to flourish.
This is the unfinished task of our generation. It is also the most meaningful way we can honour the legacy of Samora Machel and all who dedicated their lives to the cause of freedom.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To realise this future, our collective attention must be firmly focused on the following priorities:
First, we must deepen our integration and accelerate the implementation of the SADC integration agenda and the African Continental Free Trade Area as catalysts for regional and continental industrialisation.
The Africa Industrialisation Index for 2025 tells us that the full implementation of our Continental Free Trade Area could generate up to 450 billion US dollars in added value to the African economy. This could increase trade among African countries by 60 percent in agrifood, 48 percent in manufacturing and 34 percent in services by 2045.
Our cooperation with Mozambique is firmly on this footing. Our economies are deeply integrated. We share strong ties in trade and investment.
Every day, more than 2 500 commercial trucks traverse the Maputo Corridor in both directions – transporting coal, minerals, agricultural products, petroleum gas and other goods between our two countries and destined for other markets.
Mozambique is South Africa’s largest trading partner on the continent and our sixth export market globally.
In turn, South African companies are formidable investors in Mozambique with a footprint of 300 companies operating in Mozambique, supporting over forty thousand jobs.
These figures not only show that our economies are inseparable but also demonstrate what is possible when regional integration is a reality.
Second, we must shift our economies away from exporting raw materials towards local manufacturing, beneficiation and value addition.
The Nkomaza Special Economic Zones when operational stand as good platform for us to build cross boarder special economic zones that can be catalyst for value addition in both countries and create jobs for both our nationals.
Africa's resources – our platinum, manganese, cobalt and copper – must drive industrial development and create jobs for Africans.
All of this rests on our willingness to invest in modern infrastructure, transport networks, energy systems, water infrastructure and digital connectivity. Much of this is already part of SADC's regional integration and industrialisation plans.
The Maputo corridor stands as a success story of our infrastructure joint developments programs success.
Thirdly, we must strengthen food security and unlock the full potential of our agricultural sector. No African should go hungry on a continent blessed with such abundant land, resources and agricultural opportunity.
Our people on both sides of our borders know the devastation of climate disasters too well.
We must strengthen our efforts to protect our people from floods, droughts and cyclones that are so frequent in our region including in this area of Nkomazi.
This includes building mechanisms that enable us to act together and respond together, as envisaged through the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre (SHOC), based in Nampula, Mozambique.
Fourthly, we must invest in our people.
Quality education, skills development, science, technology and innovation will determine Africa's competitiveness in the decades ahead.
Far too many young people in our region are neither in employment nor in education or training, with women bearing the brunt of this.
Young people – most of our region’s population – must remain at the centre of our development agenda.
Fifthly, we have a collective responsibility to promote peace, security and political stability. Conflict is an obstacle to sustainable development.
We must intensify efforts to silence the guns and settle conflicts through mediation and dialogue.
It must also be said that durable peace cannot be imposed from outside. It must be built by Africans themselves through mutual respect, inclusive governance and a shared commitment to the well-being of our people.
Equally, we must strengthen our cooperation on mutual concerns such as cross-border crime and build trust in our law enforcement institutions.
Above all, we must strengthen governance and accountability. We must uphold the values and principles we have collectively agreed upon through the AU structures.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For Samora Machel and his contemporaries, the liberation of women was fundamental to the process of social transformation. They believed that any transformation that left intact the structures responsible for women's oppression would be merely cosmetic.
They constantly asked:
“How can the revolution triumph without the liberation of women?
Will it be possible to get rid of the system of exploitation while keeping one part of society exploited?”
Machel's answer was consistent:
“The emancipation of women is not an act of charity, the result of a humanitarian or compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a fundamental necessity for the revolution, the guarantee of its continuity and the precondition for its victory.”
Today, in this very region where Machel’s generation waged fierce battles for complete liberation, that struggle is far from over.
Although we have made strides in advancing gender equality in our societies, violence against women remains intolerably high.
Last year alone, nearly half a million cases of gender-based violence were reported across the SADC region. South Africa accounted for nearly 30 percent of these cases.
This is why we have declared gender-based violence and femicide a national emergency requiring dedicated resources, better policing and a whole-of-society response.
Gender equality and the elimination of barriers to women’s participation in political and economic life underpin all our strategic priorities for our SADC Chairship.
Your Excellency, President Chapo,
Let me now turn to the unacceptable incidents of violence directed against migrants by some sections of our society.
We reiterate that there is no justification for the violence, displacement and intimidation of fellow Africans.
We welcome the findings and recommendations of the Promotion Mission of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to our country.
The Commission’s fair and evidence-based assessment recognises that South Africa is not inherently xenophobic or Afrophobic.
This is important in light of the sustained and well-resourced campaigns that use disinformation to sow division and undermine the rule of law.
At the same time, South Africans have legitimate concerns about undocumented migration and expect us to address corruption at our borders and ports of entry.
We are heeding the Commission’s call for greater accountability for acts of vigilantism, intimidation and incitement to violence against migrants. This includes addressing the exploitation of migrants by businesses and organised criminal networks.
Migration is a shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination.
As we enforce our laws, we must uphold our commitment to human rights, dignity and non-discrimination.
Excellencies, Distinguished guests,
In the aftermath of President Samora Machel's tragic death, we declared that “the blood he shed on our soil is and will forever be a fountain of freedom for all our people.”
We also made a pledge to the people of Mozambique and our entire region that “At Mbuzini, where the fellow-combatant, Samora Machel, lost his life, we shall erect a monument that will symbolise the common suffering of the people of Southern Africa, a tribute to their heroism and a solemn affirmation that we share a common destiny of liberty, peace and social progress.”
That pledge found fulfilment when this monument was unveiled in 1999.
Today, as we mark 40 years since the tragedy, we renew our commitment to the ideals embodied in that pledge. We owe it to the generations born after President Machel's death to ensure that they understand the sacrifices that made our freedom possible and the responsibilities that come with it.
The task of our generation is to give concrete meaning to the vision they championed. An Africa that is united, peaceful and prosperous, where every person can live with dignity and fulfil their potential.
That will be the most meaningful tribute to those we honour today and the surest way to preserve their legacy for generations to come.
Aluta Continua! Aluta
Kani mambo Frelimo, Ndzikhensile, Ngiyabonga, Muito obrigado.
I thank you.
