In January 1988, the Zimbabwean Minister of Finance reported that since 1980 the Frontline States had spent about $27.5bn defending themselves against South African aggression. (SEE CHRONOLOGY)
This figure, the Minister said, did not take into account the losses in human lives and development potential, destruction of crops and property, displacement of people and the growing spread of malnutrition and disease. In the period September 1987 to January 1988 at least five independent Southern African states came under attack. Officials in each of these countries accused Pretoria of carrying out bomb blasts, grenade attacks and assassinations after violating territorial borders.
South Africa's capability to attack the region was greatly increased with the establishment in October 1987 of a new airforce base in the northern Transvaal. The Minister of Defence described the base as being 'ideally situated to provide the necessary support to security forces in their struggle against terrorism'. It is within striking distance of Harare, Gaborone, Maputo and Beira. Coupled with the South African Air Force's newly acquired Boeing mid-air refuelling aircraft purchased from Israel, South Africa has become an increased military threat to countries as distant as Tanzania. (CT 15.10.87; BBC 20.10.87, 23.11.87, 15.1.88; CT/S 16.11.87; New Africa News Nov-Dec 1987)
FIGHTING IN ANGOLA
South African armed forces launched a major attack on the strategically important Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale, 300 kilometres from the Namibian frontier, in December and January. This violated a UN Security Council call for South Africa to withdraw from Angola by 10 December.
In November and again in December the UN Security Council unanimously condemned South Africa's aggression against Angola and the occupation of its territory and called for the unconditional withdrawal of all South African forces. On 22 December the Secretary-General confirmed that South Africa was still engaged in widespread military action. A Security Council mission went to Angola in mid-December and reported the presence of South African forces in the southern provinces of Cuando Cubango and Cunene.
The invasion, openly acknowledged by South Africa, started at the beginning of August with the declared aim of saving UNITA from total defeat by the Angolan armed forces. (FOCUS 73 p.12) After months of fierce fighting the chief of the South African Defence Force (SADF) General J Geldenhuys announced on 5 December that South Africa was withdrawing its forces from southern Angola. However, in a two-pronged attack, South African forces penetrated deep into Cunene and Cuando Cubango provinces. Troops from the SADF's Eighth Armoured Division advanced north under heavy air cover through Cunene province, while two battalions of mechanised infantry involving 6,000 troops attacked Cuito Cuanavale in Cuando Cubango province. This is the Angolan army's main forward position in its offensive against Mavinga and Jamba, UNITA's main base near the Namibian border. Regular artillery and air bombardment of the area in December culminated in intensive bombing of the town in January.
The Angolan armed forces shot down a large number of South African aircraft, while Cuban pilots attached to the Angolan air force bombed enemy positions in the battle for the town. Speaking on Angolan television in mid-January, Angolan Air Force Commander Alberto Neto stated that South Africa had failed in its attempt to take Cuito Cuanavale. (BBC 25/26.1.88)
On 21 January Angola's Defence Minister reported fierce fighting in the area of Munhanago, an important point on the Benguela Railway in Bie province, 590 kilometres from the Namibian border. He also said that South Africa was organising a huge military build-up in northern Namibia aimed at launching an even larger-scale war of aggression against Angola.
Personal evidence of South African intervention in Angola in support of UNITA was given at a press conference in Luanda by Rifleman Simeon Kandipwapa Petrus (22), a member of 101 Battalion of the South West Africa Territory Force who was captured in Cunene in September. He said his Battalion had entered Angola to aid UNITA in the face of the Angolan army's offensive. It used AK47 rifles and wore uniforms similar to those of the People's Liberation Army of Namibia, SWAPO's military wing, in order to deceive the local population. The battalion had a special company which specialised in 'terror tactics such as killing, torture, rape and destruction of property when seeking information or searching for Swapo fighters'. Petrus confirmed South Africa's increasing use of black Namibian conscripts in its aggression against Angola and said that troop morale was low. (Nam 18.12.87)
CHRONOLOGY
Examples of incidents in Southern African countries other than Angola, between September 1987 and January 1988
30.9.87 Explosion at Lusaka's railway station killing two postal workers and injuring six others. Later at least one bomb and three suspected bombs were found addressed to Zambian citizens and to the ANC. (BBC 2/7.10.87)
13.10.87 Bomb explosion in Harare injuring several people. (DN 13.10.87; see FOCUS 74 p.11)
16.10.87 Bomb blast in Lusaka seriously injuring a woman. A second bomb was later defused. (DN 19.10.87)
2.12.87 South African troops and border officials enforce exhaustive checks on traffic crossing the Botswana border into South Africa, causing delays of up to four hours. (CT 3.12.87; BBC 5.12.87)
10-14.12.87 Five grenade explosions in Gaborone. Few details of casualties and no deaths reported. (Star 14.12.87; Ind 15.12.87)
29.12.87 Zambian security forces defuse two bombs in Livingstone stating that they have 'irrevocable evidence' that the bombs are the work of the South African Government. (BBC 1.1.88)
31.12.87 Formal protest note sent by the Swazi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the South African Government after a border violation on 21 December by the South African Defence Force. (CT 4.1.88)
Mozambican train derailed by a mine, killing 22 passengers and injuring 71. (S.Trib 3.1.88; GN 4.1.88)
8.1.88 ANC member Jacob MOLOKWANE (19) found shot dead near Francistown in Botswana. (BBC 15.1.88)
11.1.88 Car bomb explodes outside a house used by the ANC in Bulawayo killing two men, assumed to be South African agents, and injuring three others, thought to be ANC members. (BBC 15.1.88)
13.1.88 Sipho NGEWA, a South African refugee with alleged ANC connections shot dead in Swaziland. (BBC 15.1.88)
19.1.88 Bomb explodes at the ANC headquarters in Lusaka injuring three Zambian passers-by and causing substantial damage to the building. (BBC 20.1.88)
