Operation Savannah - The Cold War in Southern Africa
During the 1970s Cold War, the rise of the Soviet-backed Marxist MPLA in Angola was causing concern for the West, especially to the South African government and President Ford's administration in America. South Africa was invited by America to take part in a clandestine operation to install a pro-Western government in Angola. PW Botha, as Minister of Defence, advocated a total invasion of the country, concerned that the Soviets had designs on the whole of Southern Africa, but Prime Minster Voster went along with US plans.
Operation Savannah in August 1975 saw South African troops crossing the border from South West Africa (now Namibia) into Angola, on the pretext of protecting the Kunene River Hydroelectric Scheme. The Angolan civil war intensified, with Russians, Cubans, East-Germans, South Africans and Americans acting as 'military advisers' in the country.
An Official Withdrawal from Angola
On 19 December 1975, USA withdrew all support from Angola, which quickly resulted in the removal of South African troops. MPLA and Cuban troops quickly filled the vacuum left behind, moving all the way down to the border with South West Africa where they provided support to SWAPO guerrillas fighting the South African backed government.
Total Strategy, Total Onslaught
In 1977 PW Botha, as Minister of Defence, prepared a white paper in which he further advanced the concept that South Africa was under 'total onslaught' by communists backed, or even coordinated, by Russia. His response to this was a 'total strategy' of 'counter-revolution' which would require every sphere of government to be attuned against the enemy.
The Information Scandal - Muldergate
During the 1970s Prime Minister BJ Vorster was persuaded by the Minister for Information Connie Mulder to bankroll schemes which would fund propaganda through South Africa's popular newspapers and journals. The single, largest sum went to the English-language newspaper The Citizen. There was an immense cover-up when details started to appear in the press, and both Mulder and Vorster denied any knowledge. In 1978 a commission was created to investigate and, in its final report, it suggested Vorster had been aware of many details of the operation. Vorster was forced to resign as prime minister and became, instead, state president, a largely non-executive role.
PW Botha stepped in as the new prime minister on 29 September 1978, but retained his post as Minister of Defence and thus had exclusive control of South Africa's department of National Intelligence.
"We Must Adapt or Die"
In his speech on accepting the post of prime minister PW Botha recalled his 'total strategy' white paper. Almost immediately he initiated two major overhauls of policy:
- Against South Africa's enemies in neighboring countries he pursued a policy of 'destabilization', providing covert support for resistance movements such as UNITA in Angola and Renamo in Mozambique, as well as arranging for cross-border incursions against 'military' bases and hot-pursuit of guerrillas. The State Security Council (SSC, formed in 1972 as a purely advisory body) was co-opted to coordinate the state security initiatives, which were then rubber-stamped by Botha’s cabinet
- Within South Africa he launched a series of initiatives to reform the political environment and developed what was at the time the world's eleventh most powerful arms manufacturing base. In essence, 'total strategy' was used to justify the continued existence of Apartheid, and a greater level of force against black resistance to white-only rule.
PW Botha even meddled with the constitution, becoming executive State President on 3 September 1984.
