| South African Border War |
Article Index for South African |
Website Links For South African |
Information AboutSouth African Border War |
|
The South African Border War refers to the conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa (now Namibia ) and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces ( Recce's , Koevoet as well as covert involvement of the CIA ) on the one side and the Angola n government, SWAPO (''South-West Africa People's Organisation'') and their allies ( Angola 's MPLA and Soviet sponsored Cubans ) on the other. BACKGROUND: ROOTS OF THE CONFLICT The roots of the conflict can be traced back to World War I , when South Africa invaded and conquered the then German South-West Africa on behalf of the Allied Forces . In the aftermath of the war, the League Of Nations gave South Africa a Mandate to administer the territory. After World War II , South Africa refused to surrender its mandate for replacement by a United Nations Trusteeship agreement requiring closer international monitoring of the territory's administration. Although the South African government wanted to incorporate South-West Africa into its territory, it never officially did so, although it was administered as the de-facto fifth province, with the white minority having representation in the (whites-only) Parliament Of South Africa . BEGINNING OF A 23-YEAR CONFLICT (1965 - 1974) In the wake of the South Africa government's refusal and the implementation of its Apartheid policies in South-West Africa (SWA), SWAPO became increasingly militant and in 1962 its military wing, the People's Liberation Army Of Namibia (PLAN), was formed. In the mid- 1960s , a number of SWAPO bases had been established in the neighbouring country of Zambia and its insurgents began infiltrating SWA. The first such incursion took place in September 1965 and the second in March 1966 , but it was only on 26 August 1966 that the first major clash of the conlict took place, when a unit of the South African Police (SAP) - supported by South African Air Force (SAAF) Helicopters - exchanged fire with SWAPO forces. This date is generally regarded as the start of what became known in South Africa as the '''Border War'''. The chaotic situation in Angola and the discovery of Cuban weapons dumps near the SWA border, combined with clashes between South African troops and Angolan insurgents at the Calueque pump station - an important site in a combined South African - Portuguese Hydro Electric project - convinced South Africa to enter into the fray, with the covert backing of the USA , to assist the anti- MPLA movements, namely UNITA and the FNLA . In late 1966 UNITA joined the fighting against the Angolan colonial power of Portugal , who were already in a conflict with the MPLA and FNLA . UNITA was mainly active in southern and eastern Angola, while the MPLA and FNLA were mainly active in northern Angola. SAAF helicopters were first sent to support the Portuguese against UNITA in 1967 , this beginning South Africa 's decades-long involvement in this country. During this time the South African Police and its local adjunct, the South-West African Police , bore the brunt of the ground fighting on the South African side, with the SAAF backing them up from the air. In the late 1960s a dedicated police Counter Insurgency unit named '' Koevoet '' ( Afrikaans for Crowbar ) was formed. ANGOLAN INDEPENDANCE: COLD WAR THEATRE OF WAR (1975 - 1988) Angola achieved its independence on 11 November 1975 and by 29 February 1976 all the Portuguese forces had hastily left the country. However, Cuban forces and Soviet advisors had already begun to enter Angola on invitation of the MPLA in April 1975 and South Africa thus faced the prospect of a Communist state on the border of SWA. As a result South Africa , with Covert assistance from the United States ' Central Intelligence Agency , began assisting UNITA and the FNLA against the MPLA and its allies. A major incursion by South Africa into Angola occurred during Operation Savannah , when South African forces advanced 3,159 Km in 33 days to within Artillery range of the Angolan capital of Luanda . However, South Africa was forced to withdraw when its covert Western support (mainly from the United States) was withdrawn. After its withdrawal, South Africa still continued to support UNITA in order to ensure that SWAPO did not establish bases in southern Angola from where they could launch attacks into SWA. The first air-to-air combat in which SAAF jet fighter aircraft were involved in since the Korean War took place on 4 May 1978 at Cassinga in Angola. During the same operation the SAAF 's aircraft also took part in numerous sorties to support the troops on the ground, which were mainly drawn from its Airborne and Special Forces . During the late 1970's there were numerous ground and/or air operations by the South African forces into Angola , Zambia , Zimbabwe , Botswana and Mozambique . South Africa also became involved in the conflict between UNITA and the Cuban -assisted MPLA forces. COLD WAR & BORDER WAR ENDS: 1989 Following operations Modular and Hooper in 1987 and 1988 , United Nations -mediated negotiations took place with the aims of achieving peace in and independence for South-West Africa/Namibia. This coincided with a change of government in South Africa , when hardline Apartheid president P.W. Botha was forced to resign and the more Liberal F.W. De Klerk came to power. Within months, De Klerk had announced the unbanning of Anti-apartheid groups, including the African National Congress , the release of Nelson Mandela and the beginning of negotiations towards a Democratic South Africa . The final withdrawal of South African ground troops from Angola (in particular, the town of Cuito Cuanavale ) was completed on 30 August 1988 and in 1989 the South African forces also left Namibia . NAMIBIAN INDEPENDENCE: 1990 Namibia 's Independence Day took place on 21 March 1990 and was attended by numerous international representatives, including the main players, the United Nations Secretary-General and the President Of South Africa , who jointly conferred formal independence on Namibia . The president of SWAPO , Sam Nujoma , was sworn in as the first President Of Namibia . OPPOSITION TO THE WAR While many South Africans served in the SADF during the war, some refused to participate in what was seen, in some quarters, as an illegitimate and illegal war. Groups such as the End Conscription Campaign and Committee On South African War Resistance actively campaigned against the conflict, while the then-banned ANC called for combatants on the South African side to desert. THE BORDER WAR'S INFLUENCE ON SOUTH AFRICAN POPULAR CULTURE This war lasted 23 years and involved South Africans , Namibians , Angolans , Cubans , Russians and Americans . During that period the SADF called up more than 25 000 white male conscripts each year (for a two year tour), totalling just over half a million men. That's almost as many conscripts as the US sent to Vietnam . Where Black , Coloured and Indian South Africans were fighting a struggle against Apartheid inside South Africa's borders, the Whites were conscripted to fight the rooi gevaar ( Afrikaans for ''red danger'') of Communism on it's borders. South Africans (whites mostly) today feel they were kept in the dark about what really happened in their own country and on it's borders during these years. The Border War in Film Propaganda films were made in South Africa during the 1970's, mostly to serve in a recruitment drive for the South African Defence Forces . These include Kaptein Caprivi (1972) from ''Brigadiers Film Productions''. This infamous, and now somewhat laughable film, features the then State President C.R. Swart exhorting (white) citizens to make the supreme sacrifice for South Africa , and farmers held hostage by Chinese Terrorists - who speak fluent Afrikaans ! Others similar films include '''Terrorist''' and '''Aanslag op Kariba''' (''Assault on Kariba''). In the 1980's the climate changed somewhat, with the hugely popular (amongst Afrikaans viewers mostly) Boetie films, comedies starring Arnold Vosloo . These focussed on the comedic aspects of the army, and tried to avoid political messages. '''Boetie gaan Border toe''' (''Boetie goes to the Border'' - 1984) was followed by '''Boetie op Maneuvers''' (''Boetie on Maneuvers'') in 1986. 1987's The Stick by Darrel Roodt was explicity anti-war, and was subsequently banned in South Africa for two years. When finally released in South Africa it was nominated for six awards in the 1989 M-Net Film Awards , including Best Film. Influence on Language This war has produced a generation where the presence of "the army" was part of everyday life, and military terms pervaded the language and culture. The Slang term for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder originated from this conflict, and someone suffering from this was known to have gone bossies (''bushy'') or '''bos-befok''' (''bush-fucked''). Today the term civvies is still used for non-military clothing but is now mostly used in connection with South African School Children (who wear school uniforms). The term '''40 days''' (denoting '"min dae" or few days until one's tour is completed) is also used by school children today. Border War Veterans Today a lot of the veterans of this war feel that they have been forgotten, with all the attention being given to the "struggle" victims of Apartheid . "Now when I look at a young kid I think how lucky he is, how free he is that he won't have to go through all the brainwashing and bullshit I did. You know, this could have all been avoided if the government just talked to the ANC way back when they were prepared to negotiate. I resent them for stealing my youth and often I ask myself: "What for?" Namibia is independent, South Africa is free now. All those guys died for nothing." {Link without Title} SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|