Samora Machel Monument & Museum

The Samora Machel Monument at Mbuzini is a National Heritage Site that pays homage to President Samora Machel of Mazambique. The site is 24km off the R571 (road between Komatipoort and the Managa border to eSwatini).
On 19 October 1986, the aeroplane in which President Samora Machel of Mozambique, his entourage of staff and ministers were travelling in from Zambia, crashed at Mbuzini in the Lebombo Mountains. President Samora Machel and 34 others perished in the crash. In commemoration of the tragic event, the circumstances of which are not yet resolved, a monument was designed by Mozambican architect, Jose Forjaz.
The monument is perched high on a hillside surrounded by rural tranquillity. The symbolic 35 steel tubes represent the number of lives lost in the air crash. Their specially designed slits wail softly each time the wind blows. The nearby museum tells the captivating story of Mozambique’s first president and houses parts of the plane wreckage. This is a vivid and enriching experience which is an important part of South Africa’s history.