Online Reporter
The Herald, January 28 1989
THE South West Africa People’s Organisation has denied South Africa’s claim that there is a build- up of Swapo freedom fighters in southern Angola. Swapo deputy information and publicity secretary Cde Candy Nehova said here on Thursday that the claim was an excuse by South Africa to wreck the Namibian-Angolan peace accord.
He said Swapo has forces Inside Namibia and has no bases in Angola. The organisation only received logistics support from Angola and only transit camps for people running away from Namibia into Angola could be found in southern Angola, he added.
Cde Nehova said South Africa’s claim was just a ploy “to divert the attention from its activities in Namibia where it is integrating members of the notorious (South Africa-backed) Koevoet and other mercenary battalions”.
He stated that Swapo would never do anything to disrupt the peace agreement leading to free and fair elections towards Namibia’s independence and would maintain the ceasefire declared last September.
“We have never initiated any military action against South Africa ever since and will continue to refrain because we want the people of Namibia to be given a fair chance to vote,” he stressed.
On the reduction of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group forces, the Swapo spokesman said the move was a very dangerous one considering the vastness of Namibia, saying that 4000 forces could only cover Windhoek, capital of Namibia.
The altering of UN Security Council Resolution 435 was a surprise to Swapo because when the Untag forces are reduced, the elections would not be fair especially in the face of the campaign being carried out by South Africa against Swapo, the spokesman said.
On Wednesday, South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha claimed Pretoria had received reports of a freedom fighter build-up near the Namibian border with Angola by Swapo and warned that the Namibian-Angolan peace agreement could be wrecked.
Lessons for today:
- Swapo accuses South Africa of trying to “divert attention” from integrating Koevoet and other military groups. In political conflicts, each side may try to portray the other as the aggressor to gain moral or political advantage.
- The Swapo spokesperson emphasises that they are committed to maintaining the ceasefire.
Peace agreements depend heavily on trust and restraint. Even small accusations can threaten larger political progress.
- Swapo argues that Pretoria’s claims were meant to, disrupt free and fair elections, discredit Swapo, and justify military actions. False narratives or misinformation can be used to interfere with democratic transitions.
- Swapo warns that reducing UNTAG forces would make monitoring elections difficult. The UN had deployed the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group (UNTAG) to monitor the ceasefire between Swapo and South Africa, to oversee the political process leading to free and fair elections, ensure that Namibia’s path to independence was peaceful and legitimate. Namibia had lived under South African control, and without a neutral overseer, the elections could easily be manipulated.
