The namibian border war: An appraisal of the south african strategy

[Rudolph]

THE NAMIBIAN BORDER WAR: AN APPRAISAL OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN STRATEGY (http://www.samagte.co.za/pdf/03Scholtz.pdf)

Dr Leopold Scholtz
Extraordinary Professor, Department of History,
Stellenbosch University

Introduction

From the sixties to the late eighties, the border war became a household term in South Africa. Hundreds of thousands of young white men were called up for military service, and many served in some or other capacity in Namibia – then South West Africa – often in the so-called operational area, often as combat troops. These young men were told that they were there to fight communism and that Swapo (the South West African People’s Organisation), the enemy, had to be bested for peace and freedom to come to the southern African subcontinent.

Nevertheless, when the UN-supervised elections came after years of
international wrangling, Swapo won handsomely, obtaining 57 per cent of the votes. The South African Government and South African Defence Force (SADF) was taken aback, because they really had believed that the anti-Swapo coalition would get a majority. The question therefore is: How was this possible? Did the South Africans, who developed a sophisticated strategy to counter-revolutionary guerrilla warfare and really were convinced that they had Swapo on the run, make mistakes they were not aware of? Did they disobey in practice the rules they supported in theory? It will be the purpose of this analysis to answer this question.

http://www.samagte.co.za/pdf/03Scholtz.pdf

[Flagg]

Cheers for the link....will have a good read of it when I get the time.

[GeZe]

An interesting read, thank you for posting.

[garamundege]

Were the SA government and SADF really taken aback? In hindsight, they must have been fools - the black majority in SWA were going to vote for their 'oppressors'?
Wasn't it more a case of the Staat believing its own propaganda? Doesn't say much for the quality of the Staat...

[boet faas]

Were the SA government and SADF really taken aback? In hindsight, they must have been fools - the black majority in SWA were going to vote for their 'oppressors'?
Wasn't it more a case of the Staat believing its own propaganda? Doesn't say much for the quality of the Staat...
What "OPPRESSOR" are you talking about? If you are referring to millions upon millions of Rands invested into infra structure and creating a modern state of what would else be dessert then you must be on the right track. Winning the hearts and minds of thew population was the status quo of the SADF, long before such a term was even phrased in the West. SWA still does not belong to the black majority of the country as the UN and Sam Nujoma would have you believe. It is still firmly in the hands of the Germans with a black administrator.

[boet faas]

ooops...

xcuse me just found something 'bout this.

http://www.filefactory.com/file/054e42/n/Osprey_-_Men_At_Arms_242_Modern_African_Wars_3_South-West_Africa_Osprey_MaA_242_pdf

1) Click at (2): Download with FileFactory Basic

2) Enter captcha

3) download the pdf

4) that's it & njoy!
Sorry, too techie for me.

[AmandlaEwetu]

When i was stationed in Oshakati '87 we had an army intelligence briefing and he admitted on questioning that SWAPO would win any election held,

which made a few of us wonder what the f@ck we were doing there in the first place:roll: the "rooi gevaar"seemed a little abstract(red danger)

what a waste of 2 years of my youthrofl

[Schad]

Well I served in 61 mech, Bravo Coy mech infantry, went through Protea, Daisy and Carnation in 1981 and then did a further 3 border deployments - looking back at it now I certainly don't feel that it was a waste of time although I never did support the gov of the day or their policies.

What ocurred was firstly that Cuban and the USSR was removed from the game as well as the SA Gov. came to the realisation that it could not hold onto Namibia indefinitely.

Once Namibia came through independance without an attendant bloodbath that was predicted in the event of majority rule it showed the same thing could happen in SA.

It also forced the realisation on the ANC/Swapo that SA could not be defeated militarily and that negotiation from both sides was required and an outcome acceptable to both sides was possible.

Our company btw took about 10% casualties, two killed, one in training and about 12 wounded some seriously. You can see some of the guys in The Last Domino - very weird seeing your 19 year old self on Youtube!

[garamundege]

Well I served in 61 mech in 1981

respect to you.

If nothing else, you and the rest of the guys bought time for others

[Rudolph]

respect to you.

If nothing else, you and the rest of the guys bought time for others

That's exactly what Breytenbach said in Betrayed, they were there to give the politicians more time.

[boet faas]

It is not as negative as you make it out to be. They were there to buy the nation more time, all of us, black and white. Just think of the ramifications if Namibia were to fall to Swapo by force and the Cubans were left in Angola while the SADF retreated home. Within days Cuba would have been in SWA and the ANC with them trying to overthrow the country with violence.

I am personally full of praise for the then NP government for the way they managed an extremely difficult situation and allowed peaceful negotiations to take place, this was all possible because SA had an invincible army that proved its mettle in Angola and intelligent politicians that saw what the best outcome would be for a nation in turmoil.

And please stop complaining for being part of the war, only the privileged generation was. I would give my big toes to have been able to share in the experiences that you had. The only real generation that made a huge difference in the future of SA.

[AmandlaEwetu]

"And please stop complaining for being part of the war, only the privileged generation was. I would give my big toes to have been able to share in the experiences that you had"

as a conscript it was and is my duty to complain:),and yes we were privileged albeit only because i had a white skin:oops:

Oh how i miss the basic training and COIN ops training,so much fun-NOTwoot

[GETSOME]

When i was stationed in Oshakati '87 we had an army intelligence briefing and he admitted on questioning that SWAPO would win any election held,

which made a few of us wonder what the f@ck we were doing there in the first place:roll: the "rooi gevaar"seemed a little abstract(red danger)

what a waste of 2 years of my youthrofl
Wow ,i was there the same time,who were you with?

[AmandlaEwetu]

anti aircraft regiment using 35 mm Oerlikon-Rundu,Oshakati/Ondangwe

[ironcross6]

Winning the hearts and minds of thew population was the status quo of the SADF, long before such a term was even phrased in the West.

i hate to disagree but "hearts and minds" goes back to Vietnam predating the border war.

total respect for the SADF and its vetrans of this almost forgotten war.

[baboon6]

i hate to disagree but "hearts and minds" goes back to Vietnam predating the border war.

total respect for the SADF and its vetrans of this almost forgotten war.

Actually the term was coined by General Sir Gerald Templer when he was High Commissioner of Malaya during the war against Communist insurgents in the early 1950s.

[sp2c]

Winning the hearts and minds of thew population was the status quo of the SADF, long before such a term was even phrased in the West.

the phrase or a close translation of it rather has been used in the Netherlands east indies 1946/'49 and I'm sure that wasn't the first time someone tried doing something like that

other then that I dunno, I'll go back to lurking ;)

[GETSOME]

....but if you grab them by the balls ,their hearts and minds will follow.p-)

[ironcross6]

baboon6: totally correct! forgot we plagerized that one from Malaya, never knew who coined the phrase.

SADF fought a tough campeign and executed very well.

[Rudolph]

South-West African SWATF (Territorial Force) Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/GFY2KF_4mlc

[nano100]

Rudolph

The Para in the foreground is 1st Lt Bl**** - pathfinder. He was my 1st officer to take me into combat area - Angola. He was later promoted to Capt. Excellent officer and a fine man. The guys there are from the 81/82 para's - the guy on the right was killed.

Just cannot place the area - that pic must have been taken by end Dec 81 / start Jan 82 but the area.... Just cannot think that it is either Ovamboland or South Angola - maybe at Santa Clara - Echo Water Tower maybe - or is it at Avante, Alpha border line ( Alfa "kaplyn").

The guys are too clean and to lightly packed for a stroll in the bush, the heat is there according the sweat appearances but that is all. Nope definately not on anything particular - the kit is too light, no sleeping bags attached and not fully loaded - maybe just a check on all kit - those guys were 81 intake and they must be new on the scene, thus be "pre-emptive" take to "conditioning" of the field of operations, - the para's had a 1st time on the border final "conditioning" course of about 2 x weeks where fire fights were simulated and to get adjusted to the immense heat, sweat and long range bush fighting / recon / patrol / search and fight with exact "skiet en beweeg" ( down and up on the move ) full training with live ammo. Anyway - it was like that when I was part of it in the start of the 80's there.

Para's were allowed to dip to ground level on initial contact but had to start moving in towards the enemy immediately afterwards in a strict, controlled, disciplined and 1 x Million times practised "vuur en beweeg" ( Fire and move ) directly to the terro's.

The advantage was usually the Ak's (47) - pulled to one side and upwards on auto fire. If you hear them on auto, then you knew the fight is 50% won. The rest was easy - even Koevoet did not take the effort to do a fire and move effort - they just kept on walking upright and straight down to the terro's.

[GETSOME]

Rudolph

The Para in the foreground is 1st Lt Bl**** - pathfinder. He was my 1st officer to take me into combat area - Angola. He was later promoted to Capt. Excellent officer and a fine man. The guys there are from the 81/82 para's - the guy on the right was killed.

Just cannot place the area - that pic must have been taken by end Dec 81 / start Jan 82 but the area.... Just cannot think that it is either Ovamboland or South Angola - maybe at Santa Clara - Echo Water Tower maybe - or is it at Avante, Alpha border line ( Alfa "kaplyn").

The guys are too clean and to lightly packed for a stroll in the bush, the heat is there according the sweat appearances but that is all. Nope definately not on anything particular - the kit is too light, no sleeping bags attached and not fully loaded - maybe just a check on all kit - those guys were 81 intake and they must be new on the scene, thus be "pre-emptive" take to "conditioning" of the field of operations, - the para's had a 1st time on the border final "conditioning" course of about 2 x weeks where fire fights were simulated and to get adjusted to the immense heat, sweat and long range bush fighting / recon / patrol / search and fight with exact "skiet en beweeg" ( down and up on the move ) full training with live ammo. Anyway - it was like that when I was part of it in the start of the 80's there.

Para's were allowed to dip to ground level on initial contact but had to start moving in towards the enemy immediately afterwards in a strict, controlled, disciplined and 1 x Million times practised "vuur en beweeg" ( Fire and move ) directly to the terro's.

The advantage was usually the Ak's (47) - pulled to one side and upwards on auto fire. If you hear them on auto, then you knew the fight is 50% won. The rest was easy - even Koevoet did not take the effort to do a fire and move effort - they just kept on walking upright and straight down to the terro's.
Whereas our guys would shoot to low.p-)

[nano100]

Whereas our guys would shoot to low.p-)

At Gen De Wet Shooting range you were teached and tweaked with full ammo boxes up and down the "koppies" ( hills ) till you could shoot straight and on target :slap:

[GETSOME]

^^^^
So you an old GV ,hey.p-)

[nano100]

Hi
Long time away - just reading and catching up here, better anyway to read than talk.
But the abreviation = GV = what is that ?
Not into the military stuff anymore or at least long ago in the 80's - forgot mostly about army anyway.
Better to concentrate on the civilian side = more convenient anyway=lol

[GETSOME]

QUOTE=nano100;4743610]Hi
Long time away - just reading and catching up here, better anyway to read than talk.
But the abreviation = GV = what is that ?
Not into the military stuff anymore or at least long ago in the 80's - forgot mostly about army anyway.
Better to concentrate on the civilian side = more convenient anyway=lol[/QUOTE]
Grens vegter.p-)

[curious george]

GV - lol, havent heard that in quite a while,ha ha!

It does remind me tho:when did Rocco de Wet meet his demise?or did he retire like the rest of us?

[JoshuaS]

Rudolph

The Para in the foreground is 1st Lt Bl**** - pathfinder. He was my 1st officer to take me into combat area - Angola. He was later promoted to Capt. Excellent officer and a fine man. The guys there are from the 81/82 para's - the guy on the right was killed.

Just cannot place the area - that pic must have been taken by end Dec 81 / start Jan 82 but the area.... Just cannot think that it is either Ovamboland or South Angola - maybe at Santa Clara - Echo Water Tower maybe - or is it at Avante, Alpha border line ( Alfa "kaplyn").

The guys are too clean and to lightly packed for a stroll in the bush, the heat is there according the sweat appearances but that is all. Nope definately not on anything particular - the kit is too light, no sleeping bags attached and not fully loaded - maybe just a check on all kit - those guys were 81 intake and they must be new on the scene, thus be "pre-emptive" take to "conditioning" of the field of operations, - the para's had a 1st time on the border final "conditioning" course of about 2 x weeks where fire fights were simulated and to get adjusted to the immense heat, sweat and long range bush fighting / recon / patrol / search and fight with exact "skiet en beweeg" ( down and up on the move ) full training with live ammo. Anyway - it was like that when I was part of it in the start of the 80's there.

Para's were allowed to dip to ground level on initial contact but had to start moving in towards the enemy immediately afterwards in a strict, controlled, disciplined and 1 x Million times practised "vuur en beweeg" ( Fire and move ) directly to the terro's.

The advantage was usually the Ak's (47) - pulled to one side and upwards on auto fire. If you hear them on auto, then you knew the fight is 50% won. The rest was easy - even Koevoet did not take the effort to do a fire and move effort - they just kept on walking upright and straight down to the terro's.


Hi Nano

Can you contact me on PM on this comment you made. I also know this man as well as the troops in the background of the picture.

[GETSOME]

GV - lol, havent heard that in quite a while,ha ha!

It does remind me tho:when did Rocco de Wet meet his demise?or did he retire like the rest of us?
Dont know ,dont they sell those picture story magazines any more?:)