As Army Chief he oversaw Operation
Savannah when
South Africa
sent troops into
Angola
to support the UNITA and FNLA liberation movements which were fighting
the Soviet and Cuban supported MPLA which was trying to grab power after
Portugal, the colonial power, pulled out of its African colonies.
By 1976 when he became SADF Chief it had become evident from the Angolan
experience that it was essential the SADF re-arm and expand with modern
weapons for its troops had often been outgunned (although never
outfought) during the Angolan intervention. This was rapidly achieved by
Armscor under Malan’s direction.
He was responsible for the launch into
Angola
of various SADF raids commencing with Operation Reindeer — a
daring raid by paratrooper forces on SWAPO’s main base at Cassinga
deep inside
Angola
. He directed the expansion of the State Security Council by creating a
secretariat and a working committee and he introduced the much
criticised National Security Management System.
Although not initially involved, once the political decision had been
made, he explains the involvement of the military in the development of South Africa’s nuclear capability.
As Minister of Defence he oversaw numerous offensive operations against
SWAPO bases in
Angola. The war escalated until there were some 30 000 Cuban troops and at
least 3 000 Soviet and East German specialist fighting on the side of
SWAPO and the Angolan army. By 1988, however,
South Africa
with US
support was negotiating an end to the border war with the Angolans and
Cubans.
He relates how Commander Dieter Gerhardt of the SA Navy passed military
secrets to the
Soviet Union from 1963 to 1983, until he
was arrested and gaoled. He also gives his version of the controversial
air crash in which President Samora Machel of
Mozambique
was killed and much, much, more.
This book is essential reading for those interested in southern
Africa
’s military history.
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