The presidential aircraft was heading home. Then it changed course and began a story that still has no clear explanation.

Forty years ago, a presidential plane crashed on the border of South Africa and Mozambique, killing prominent African leader Samora Machel. Investigators blamed the pilots, but suspicions of political assassination linger. The incident involved apartheid, a Soviet aircraft, and a possible false navigation signal. On October 19, 1986, the Tupolev Tu-134A crashed near Mbuzini, killing Machel and over thirty others. Commemorations were held in 2026, reflecting on the unresolved questions surrounding the crash. The South African commission concluded pilot error was to blame, while Mozambique and Soviet experts suggested sabotage. Despite investigations, doubts remain about the true cause of the tragedy, which is intertwined with Machel's legacy and the political tensions of the time.