Special Report Transcript Episode 24, Section 5, Time 26:46

All statements and news conferences were handled by MI and in January 1987 MI flew in a number of western journalists, took them to the site and gave them briefings. All press kits handed out before Judge Margo’s press conference were prepared by Military Intelligence front and cleared by Military Intelligence. This is all very unusual. But the most serious suspicion is that the South African authorities had lured the Machel aircraft off course with a mobile decoy beacon. The Margo Commission considered this allegation and found it impossible, but not altogether convincingly. To the Mozambicans and the Russians this is the only reasonable explanation why the very experienced pilot, co-pilot and navigator of the Machel plane flew the aircraft way off course and into the mountains. It is not disputed that South Africa had the technology to influence an aircrew to fly off course. A mobile beacon like this could be erected and removed in a very short period of time. If it had been stationed near Komatipoort or even inside Mozambique where South Africa had good access through RENAMO, it could have misled the crew into thinking Maputo was further to the west than it was and that is exactly what happened.

Notes: Max du Preez; Model 780-175-1P Pvor mobile beacon

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