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Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will, on behalf of President Jacob Zuma, attend and address the 30th Anniversary Service of the late Mozambican President Samora Machel scheduled for Mbuzini in Mpumalanga today, Monday, 17 October 2016.

This year's anniversary, organised under theme "Commemorating life-long dedication to the people of Southern African people, We remember them!” will be attended by the Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic of Mozambique, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa, Premier David Mabuza, representatives of the Russian Federation as well as families of those who perished alongside President Samora Machel in the plane crash in 1986 in Mbuzini.

The 30th Anniversary is organised among others to:

• commemorate the lives of President Samora Machel and the 34 others who died during the plane crash at Mbuzini.
• highlight the role played by the people of Mozambique towards the liberation of South Africa and other countries in the subcontinent and
• promote Liberation Heritage as a vehicle to foster social cohesion, nation building, economic development and inclusive citizenship.

As a consequence of the sacrifices made by the people of Mozambique including the late President Samora Machel in the struggle against apartheid and towards the creation of a non-racial, democratic and non-sexist society, our two countries today enjoy strategic bilateral political, economic, trade and cultural relations.

These bilateral relations are conducted through the Heads of State Economic Bilateral Forum (HOSEB) established in 1997 and the Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC). To date, over (70) seventy sectoral agreements have been signed between the two countries, demonstrating the strength and the depth of the bilateral relations.

Issued by Government Communication and Information System on behalf of the Presidency