South African Border Wars

South African Border Wars

Desmond Latham 142 - Episode 113 - More details about the fierce fighting when PLAN invaded Namibia in April 1989

Much has been written about the South African Border war which is also known as the Namibian War of Independence. While the fighting was ostensibly about Namibia, most of the significant battles were fought inside Namibia’s northern neighbour, Angola. South Africa’s 23 year border war has been almost forgotten as the Cold War ebbed away and bygones were swept under the political carpet. South African politicians, particularly the ANC and the National Party, decided during negotiations to end years of conflict that the Truth and Reconciliation commission would focus on the internal struggle inside South Africa. For most conscripts in the South African Defence Force, the SADF, they completed matric and then were drafted into the military. For SWAPO or UNITA or the MPLA army FAPLA it was a similar experience but defined largely by a political awakening and usually linked to information spread through villages and in towns. This was a young person’s war which most wars are – after all the most disposable members of society are its young men. Nor was it simply a war between white and black. IT was more a conflict on the ground between red and green. Communism and Capitalism. The other reality was despite being a low-key war, it was high intensity and at times featured unconventional warfare as well as conventional. SADF soldiers would often fight on foot, walking patrols, contacts would take place between these troops and SWAPO. There were many conventional battles involving motorised heavy vehicles, tanks, artillery, air bombardments and mechanised units rolling into attack each other. The combatants included Russians, American former Vietnam vets, Cubans, East Germans and Portuguese.
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Episodes

142-

Episode 113 - More details about the fierce fighting when PLAN invaded Namibia in April 1989

10 Jul 2023
141-

Episode 112 - SWAPO's Sam Nujoma pulls a fast one and UNTAG struggles to cope

03 Jul 2023
140-

Episode 111 - Two Scorpions in a bottle and peace after 23 years

26 Jun 2023
139-

Episode 110 - Cuban MiG-23s bomb Calueque Dam and 11 SADF troops pay the price

19 Jun 2023
138-

Episode 109 - A Bosbok survives a missile near miss as both the SADF and the Cubans gear up

11 Jun 2023