“Contested Historical Interpretations and the Narrative of the Angolan-South Africa War 1987-1988 - A military outcome?” by Stephen James Beck Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of History at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof. Bill Nasson December 2018 1 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration By submitting this thesis electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. December 2018 Copyright © 2018 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Beck, Stephen, Contested Historical Interpretations and the Narrative of the Angolan-South Africa War 1987-1988 - A military outcome?, Master of Arts (History), January 2018, Univeristy of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Abstract The end of the 1980s brought abought great changes throughout the world, the end of the Cold War – globally, as well as the end of apartheid in South Africa. For South Africans these two events can be seen in the narratives which surround the Angolan Border/Civil War, as it contained all the elements of a Cold War struggle and is heralded by some as a turning point towards the end of apartheid. The outcomes of this conflict are hotly contested, each side claiming a victory for themselves. The Cuban, ANC, and MPLA narrative would have us believe that the SADF was defeated through military might. And the SADF narrative argues that they were not defeated in Angola. This thesis will look at those claims, and judge them on their merit, but will ultimately find that all the major players in this conflict emerged heads held high, and the only losers were the Angolan people. Die einde van die 1980’s het wêreldwyd groot veranderinge meegebring: op globale skaal die einde van die Koue Oorlog, asook die einde van apartheid in Suid-Afrika. Suid-Afrikaners kan hierdie twee gebeurtenisse terugvind in die narratiewe oor die Angolese Grens- en Burgeroorlog. Hierdie oorlog bevat al die elemente van ’n Koue Oorlog-stryd en word deur sommige kommentators erken as ’n draaipunt wat gelei het tot die einde van apartheid. Die uitkomste van hierdie konflik word hewig betwis, want albei kante eis vir hulself oorwinning op. Die Kubaanse, ANC- en MPLA-narratief wil ons laat glo dat die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag (SAW) deur militêre mag verslaan is. En die SAW-narratief voer aan dat hulle nie in Angola verslaan is nie. Hierdie tesis sal hierdie aansprake bekyk en in terme van hul eie waarde beoordeel, maar sal uiteindelik tot die slotsom kom dat al die belangrikste deelnemers aan hierdie konflik daaruit getree het met hul koppe omhoog, en dat die enigste verloorders die Angolese bevolking was. 3 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 Literature Review .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Context ............................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 22 The Cold War and newly independent states ............................................................................................... 22 Namibia or South West Africa ............................................................................................................................. 23 Angolan Independence movements .................................................................................................................. 26 Angola ............................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Angola and South Africa ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter One ..................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Operation Modular phase one – The South African Defence Force. ......................................................... 36 Chapter Two .................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Operation Moduler Phase Two ................................................................................................................................ 52 Chapter Three: ................................................................................................................................................................ 62 Operations Hooper and Packer ................................................................................................................................ 62 Chapter Four: .................................................................................................................................................................. 77 The Defenders of Cuito Cuanavale.......................................................................................................................... 77 Chapter Five ..................................................................................................................................................................... 90 Weighing up the claims of victory .......................................................................................................................... 90 Concluding Perspective ............................................................................................................................................. 104 What Remains ............................................................................................................................................................... 107 Select Bibliography ..................................................................................................................................................... 109 4 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Bill Nasson for his help and support, as well as the NRF for granting the NRF Masters Free standing bursary to complete my studies. 5 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za Introduction Towards the end of the era of Independence in Africa, the continent became vulnerable to the politics of the world stage. The unaligned third world states1 were ripe for the extension of the Cold War and Africa provided a ‘battleground’ that was safely away from both the Soviet Union and the United States of America. The former colonies of Portugal are a prime example of this, due to Portugal’s sluggish attitude towards relinquishing control over its colonies in Africa. As such, independence movements formed in colonies like Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, and Angola. As a Western ally of Portugal, the United States could not capitalise on an emerging vacuum by courting the emerging leaderships, and instead the Soviet Union was able to gain a foothold in ex-Portuguese colonies. These shifts in alignment created tensions for the powerhouse of the continent, apartheid South Africa, which felt threatened by the ‘communist menace’ on its doorstep. 1Third world meaning: The group of developing nations, especially of Asia and Africa, which did not align themselves with the policies of either the U.S. or the former Soviet Union. 6 Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za In Angola specifically, The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (hereafter the MPLA) created an issue for the South African government, as it was ‘communist-aligned’, as well as harbouring, and sympathising with the independence movement of South West Africa, the South West Africa People's Organization (hereafter SWAPO). Between the period of Angola losing its colony status in 1975, through to 1989, South Africa intervened militarily on behalf of the opposition to the MPLA, first the National Liberation Front of Angola (hereafter FNLA), and later The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (hereafter UNITA). Towards the end of the 1980s, the South Africans drastically escalated their intervention as a result of a People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (hereafter FAPLA) offensive on the UNITA stronghold of Mavinga, the results of which have long been subject to debate by observers. The South African intervention only ended in 1989, after tripartite talks between the MPLA, Cuba, and South Africa which coursed throughout 1988. This dissertation