Johannesburg , South Africa ( CNN ) -- A South African military plane crashed in the mountains as it headed to an airport near the rural hometown of Nelson Mandela , authorities said Thursday . A military spokesman declined to comment on the plane 's mission or the number of people aboard , but said rescuers are searching for survivors . Local media reported that the plane , which had taken off from a Pretoria airbase Wednesday night , was carrying a team of doctors responsible for the former president 's health care . However , two sources close to Mandela said the passengers aboard the plane were not doctors for the anti-apartheid icon . Rescue crews found the wreckage around the Drakensberg mountains , but it is too early to tell what happened , said Siphiwe Dlamini , the spokesman for the defense department . It was headed to an airport in Mthatha , the spokesman said . The small town is about 20 miles ( 30 kilometers ) from the Qunu village where Mandela now lives . Mandela , 94 , has not appeared in public since the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa . The former president gets round-the-clock care after abdominal surgery this year and an acute respiratory infection in 2011 . The Nobel Peace Prize laureate spent 27 years in prison for fighting against oppression of blacks in South Africa . He became the nation 's first black president in 1994 , four years after he was freed from prison . Despite his rare appearances , Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation . CNN 's Robyn Curnow contributed from South Africa and Faith Karimi from Atlanta .
News crews scouring the area for survivors . Smith , 94 , has not appeared in public since 2010 . He gets round - the - clock care after abdominal surgery this year .