Kaunda blames S. Africa for air crash

Press, 31 October 1986, Page 8

Kaunda blames S. Africa for air crash

NZPA-Reuter Maputo The Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, has for the first time directly accused South Africa of being behind the death of Mozambique’s founding leader,. Samora Machel, who was killed in a plane crash 11 days ago.

Soon after Mr Machel’s death, Mr Kaunda pointed a finger at South Africa, as many African leaders have done since. But he qualified his accusation by saying that Pretoria was suspect until proven innocent.

Yesterday, after six hours of talks in Maputo by the leaders of the Frontline States group, of which he is chairman, Mr Kaunda said: “There is sufficient circumstantial evidence for us to hold South Africa responsible directly (for Mr Machel’s death). “We are aware that the plane was being monitored by South African radar. We know that and we know that electronically, these days, it is possible to tamper with any machine, like an aeroplane.” South Africa denies the charge. It has invited Mozambique and the Soviet Union, makers of the Tupolev TU-134 plane in which Mr Machel and 33 other people were killed shortly before it was due to land in Maputo, to join

an investigation of the crash.

The Frontline group — Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zam- _ bia and Zimbabwe — was formed by the Organisation of African Unity in 1974 to . champion black Africa’s fight against apartheid. At the -end of yesterday’s talks, the leaders resolved to defend Mozambique against "mounting aggressioh from South Africa through armed bandits and other agents.” They were referring to Mozambican National Resistance (M.N.R.) rebels, who have ravaged the Country’s economy and killed thousands of civilians in a campaign to oust Mr Machel’s Government since he led Mozambique to independence from Portugal in 1975. The meeting, a day after Mr Machel was given a hero’s funeral, took place as the M.N.R. declared war on Zimbabwe after a pledge by its Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, that his troops would fight to the last man to prevent the insurgents taking over in Mozambique. Mr Mugabe already has an estimated 12,000 soldiers in Mozambique to combat the M.N.R. and guard an oil pipeline and trade routes vital to his landlocked nation.