While the South African government has admitted carrying out operations against SWAPO guerrillas in South Angola, it has repeatedly denied that its troops are involved in the fighting between the three rival nationalist groups - the MPLA, UNI I A and the -NLA.
As late as November 4sra, toreign Minister Hilgard Muller stated that soul Atrica does not intena getting involved in the civil war in Angolal.
For course, South African troops had already entered the country and begun tignting ine Moscow-Dacked MPLA before the Portuguese army had been withdrawn and independence granted.
Since the last week in October, particular, the MPLA has lost a numin central and southern Angola. troops were driven back by a heavily armed military column composed of South African troops and units from the FNLA and UNITA. The military column swept hundreds of miles through Angola, taking in rapid succession Sa da Bandeira, Mocamedes, Benguela, Lobito and Novo Redmondo.
Vorster's aim The South African invasion is not, it might appear on the surface. sistent with its recent 'detentel line towards neighbouring black states but is, on the contrary, designed to promote it.
South African Prime Minister Vorster has calculated that intervention by his army at this stage can tip the balance in favour of those political forces who are firmiv committed to collaboration with South Africa. UNITA's strong pro-detente "ne, tor example, nas been spelt out on numerous occasions in interviews granted witn toreign Journalists.
in an interview witn Ine Luanda publication Portuguese Africa, UNITA'S leader Jonas Savimbi states on April 28th that '.. economic co-operation with South Africa is only realism nowever much we may be opposea lo the inhumanity and injustice of aparOne May no ssue went on to say that Dr Savimbi did not believe, in ine present sournern African context, that armed liberation wars were necessarily ine solution tor Ine proplems of Namibia and Zimbabwel.
Prime Minister Vorster must have welcomed the virtues of a tree enterprise economy. In the same interview, tavoured a state that would 'leave as much as possible of the economy to private enterprise and went on to welcome lany source of foreign investment' Moscow This is not to suggest that the policies of the FNLA or UNITA, Their have been prepared to collaborate with South African forces against the rival nationalist group MPLA necessarily more pro-capitalist than the latteris.
Certainly, eacers clearly admitted that they intend pursuing a 'non-aligned' course and, despite demagogic denouncements of "Tascisis' and 'puppets or internalona imperialism', have guaranteed private property 'including that of foreigners as so long as it benefits the economy of Incon" the country...'.
South African leaders, probably consider the MPLA to be a less reliable tool than the other two groups in sareguarding ineir economic interests. They possibly fear that Mr LA leaders may be torcea inic adopting certain radical anti-imperialist stances by the radical aspirations of their own supporters in the Luanda A more important consideration may be South Africals desire to prevent the Soviet Union, MPLA. from qaining strong political influence in a country bordering on souln Arrican-occupied Ivamiblaz Although Moscow's aim in its support for the MPLA is not to encourage a struggle against capitalism, a pro-Soviet government could give it a useful bargaining power in its deals with the West.
Angola's vast deposits of oil and minerals would make it a particularly powerful bargaining counter for more favourable terms with the West within the framework of "detente!.
Detente South Africa certainly knew that its dispatch of troops to Angola would meet with little response trom the neo-colonial African states and the OAU (Organisation for African Unity). MPLA president, has charged recently that Imost African states are betraying us by remaining silent in such a situation..'.
neighbouring black states into diplomalic and Irade inks py injecting ment. and trade. A. SCOTT also Savimbi's espousal of the neighbouring states and a strong military presence to act as a deterrent against any liberation moveBritain plays a major role in this strategy with its supply of arms Despite the election of a Labour this aid continues unabated. The South African government continues to receive spare enjoy joint trading schemes betwee British and South African personel.
one or ine mosi concrete ways !. which British socialists can help the independence struggle in Ancold - besides demanding the withdrawa! of all imperialist forces - is to demar= that the Labour government end all economic and military support for the Vorster regime.