SOUTH AFRICA'S DESTABILIZATION OF ZIMBABWE,

SOUTH AFRICA'S DESTABILIZATION OF ZIMBABWE, 1980-89

South Africa's Destabilization of Zimbabwe, 1980-89 John Dzimba Lecturer in International Politics National University of Lesotho

-- First published in Great Britain 1998 by MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world -- A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-349-40308-0 ISBN 978-0-230-37214-6 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780230372146 First published in the United States of America 1998 by ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 ISBN 978-0-312-17669-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Dzimba, John. South Africa's destabilization of Zimbabwe, 1980-89 I John Dzimba. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-312-17669-3 I. Political stability-zimbabwe. 2. Political stability -Economic aspects-zimbabwe. 3. Social stability-zimbabwe. 4. Zimbabwe-Foreign relations-south Africa. 5. South Africa -Foreign relations-zimbabwe. I. Title. DT2996.D95 1997 968.06-dc21 97-19534 CIP John Dzimba 1998 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1998 978-0-333-71369-3 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WI P 9HE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. 1098765432 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00 99

In memory of my father and brother

Contents Preface Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations The Background of Destabilization: South Africa's Regional Policy, 1977-89 I 1.1 Defining Southern Africa as a region 2 1.2 The Concept of Destabilization 7 1.3 Conditions Giving Rise to the Destabilization Policy 8 1.4 Objectives of the Destabilization Policy 34 1.5 Application of the Destabilization Policy in the Region 36 2 Destabilization: The Zimbabwe Experience 41 2.1 The Historical Events leading to Destabilization of Zimbabwe 41 2.2 South Africa's Justification for Destabilizing Zimbabwe 50 2.3 South Africa's Political Subversion and Military Sabotage 53 2.4 The Matabeleland Problem Exacerbates Destabilization 58 2.5 South Africa's Use of the MNR to Destabilize Zimbabwe 61 3 Zimbabwean Defence and Security Policy in the Context of the South African Threat 66 3.1 Zimbabwe in the Context of South Africa's Threat 67 3.2 Defence and Security Policy 70 3.3 Zimbabwe's Military Involvement in Mozambique 75 3.4 The Internal Security Problem: Mugabe's Commitment 80 3.5 The Politics of Zimbabwean Defence 82 4 Economic Sabotage 4.1 Economic Dependence vii x xii xiii 85 85

viii Contents 4.2 South Africa's Political and Economic Leverage: Zimbabwe's Options 86 4.3 South Africa's Tactics for Sabotaging the Zimbabwean Economy 89 4.4 The Impact of the Disruption of Zimbabwe's Transport 94 4.5 The Attempt to Alleviate the Transport Problem 98 5 Destabilization and Economic Sanctions: The Impact on Zimbabwe 104 5.1 The International Sanctions Campaign and the Shift in Pretoria's Strategy 104 5.2 The Beira Corridor: Zimbabwe's Mismanagement and Failure to Act Quickly 107 5.3 Sanctions and the Consequences for Zimbabwe 119 5.4 Zimbabwe's Dilemma 123 6 Overall Economic and Social Impact of Destabilization 130 6.1 Shortages Caused by Defence Spending 130 6.2 Destabilization's Impact on Trade 137 6.3 Impact on Social Welfare 138 6.4 The Impact of Destabilization on the Agricultural Sector 142 6.5 The Unity Accord 143 6.6 Impact on Imports and Exports 145 7 South Africa's Destabilization of Zimbabwe: Success or Failure? 152 7.1 Failures of South Africa's Policy of Destabilization of Zimbabwe 153 7.2 Achievements of South Africa's Policy of Destabilization of Zimbabwe 165 7.3 A Summary of South Africa's Achievements 167 7.4 Weakening Zimbabwe by Attacking its Neighbours 168 7.5 Factors that Led Towards the Abandonment of Regional Destabilization and to the End of Apartheid 173 7.6 Conclusion 176 Appendix 179 Notes 189

Contents ix Bibliography Index 214 221

Preface In adopting the policy of destabilization of Zimbabwe, South Africa aimed at achieving certain political and economic objectives. These included weakening SADCC's efforts to isolate South Africa, blocking Zimbabwe's policies of Socialism and reconciliation (so as to prevent it from being a multiracial state), creating a buffer against sanctions by constraining Zimbabwe publicly from supporting international sanctions against South Africa, and ensuring that there was no ANC or PAC threat. To what extent did South Africa achieve these objectives and to what degree did the policy of destabilization prove to be a success or a failure? In what way did destabilization influence political developments in Zimbabwe, notably its political unity and the ruling party's Marxist and Socialist goals? These questions are central to this book and a conclusion will be reached as to whether South Africa's destabilization of Zimbabwe was a success or a failure. This study is an attempt to understand the development of South Africa's destabilization policy from 1980 to 1989. In particular, the study tries to identify and analyse the issues which have been reflected in the formulation and shaping of that policy. The study examines the implications of Pretoria's policy of destabilization towards Zimbabwe, Pretoria's political intentions, and why Pretoria considered Zimbabwe's independence a threat to its economic and political interests. Zimbabwe's response to its ambivalent relationship with its aggressive and powerful neighbour is also examined. Chapter 1 offers an analysis of South Africa's regional policy of Total Strategy. It explains how the strategy evolved, and identifies the changes that took place in the regional and domestic circumstances which acted both as the causes and result of it. The chapter critically assesses the conditions giving rise to the destabilization policy, the objectives of the policy and the application of the policy. Chapter 2 examines the reasons why South Africa adopted this policy, its implications and political intentions. The chapter sets out the main goals South Africa hoped to achieve and explains in detail the methods used. Chapter 3 analyses Zimbabwe's defence and security policy in the context of the South African threat. It examines the politics of Zimx

Preface xi babwe's defence, its internal security problems and Mugabe's response to the crisis. Chapter 4 looks at South Africa's tactics in sabotaging the Zimbabwean economy by disrupting its transport system. It examines the political and economic leverage South Africa had over Zimbabwe and how South Africa used this leverage to neutralize Zimbabwean policies. Zimbabwe's options and response to these economic pressures are also examined. In addition this chapter seeks to draw out the positive and negative aspects of the South African destabilization of Zimbabwe. Chapters 5 and 6 examine and interpret the economic consequences of destabilization in Zimbabwe. The impact of destabilization on Zimbabwe's internal political order and its influence upon the political development that took place are analysed. Chapter 6 critically assesses Zimbabwe's failure to implement effective economic policies. Chapter 7 gives an evaluation of South Africa's achievements and failures with regard to its policy of destabilization of Zimbabwe. It puts forward the argument that the policy failed to achieve its main objectives, although it had some significant successes, such as the Nkomati Accord with Mozambique in 1986. The chapter will, in conclusion, address the reasons why in 1989 Pretoria abandoned the destabilization of Zimbabwe.

Acknowledgements I would first and foremost like to thank Professor Helen O'Neil and Professor Dan Keohane, for their guidance, and endless kindness and encouragement in the working out of this book. My thanks are also due to the following: to all staff members of the Department of Politics at University College Dublin and Department of International Relations at Keele University, especially Professor Andrew Linklater and Mrs M. Groppe. Thanks to my parents, sisters and brothers, and the Irish government for their personal and financial support. Thanks to the Brady family, Nissreena Abughannam, Tsietso Motsoane, and all my friends for their inspiration and support in times of hardship. Finally to Professor Edmund Hill for his helpful comments in the early stages of my work on the book. I extend my gratitude to the students and the staff in the Department of Politics at the National University of Lesotho, where I taught for a year, in helping me to shape this research work. I would like to dedicate this work, however imperfect it may be, to my brother Alois Ushe Dzimba who died in the Zimbabwean struggle for independence, and who had been always supportive and encouraged me to learn. xii

List of Abbreviations AFZ ANC ARDA ARMSCOR BCG BCP BLEA BLS BMATI BNP BOP BOSS CBI CFU CFM CGIC CIO CONSAS CP CZI DLMA EAD FLS FNLA FRELIMO HNP IDC LLA MFEPD MNC MNR MPLA NIS Air Force of Zimbabwe African National Congress Agricultural and Rural Development Authority Armaments Development and Manufacturing Corporation Beira Corridor Group Basutoland Congress Party Bankline East Africa Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland British Military Advisory and Training Team Basutoland National Party Balance of Payments Bureau of State Security Confederation of British Industry Commercial Farmers' Union Cambinos de Ferro de Mozambique Credit Guarantee Insurance Corporation Central Intelligence Organization Constellation of Southern African States Conservative Party Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Direct Local Market Allocation Expressa Austral de Desenvolvimento Frontline States National Front for the Liberation of Angola Front for the Liberation of Mozambique Herstigte Nasionale Party Industry Development Corporation Lesotho Liberation Army Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development multinational companies Mozambique National Resistance (also called RENAMO) Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola National Intelligence Service Xlll

XlV NP NRZ OAU ODI PAC PF PF-ZAPU PTA RENAMO RRF SAAF SABC SACU SADCC SADF SAMID SAPEM SAS SATCC SATS SDR SATU SSC SWAPO TOA TRC UANC UDF UDI UN UNITA WBMIGA ZANLA ZANU(PF) ZAPU ZDF ZIFA List of Abbreviations National Party National Railways of Zimbabwe Organization for African Unity Overseas Development Institute Pan Africanist Congress Patriotic Front Patriotic Front Zimbabwe African People's Union Preferential Trade Area Mozambique National Resistance (also known as MNR) Rapid Reaction Force South African Air Force South Africa Broadcasting Corporation South African Customs Union Southern African Development Coordination Conference South African Defence Force South African Military Intelligence Directorate Southern Africa Political and Economic Monthly Special Air Service Southern Africa Transport and Communication Commission South African Transport Services Social Domestic Resources South African Trade Unions State Security Council South West Africa People's Organization Transport Operator's Association Tete Road Corridor United African National Congress United Democratic Front Unilateral Declaration of Independence United Nations National Union for the Total Liberation of Angola World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army Zimbabwe African National Union (patriotic Front) Zimbabwe African People's Union Zimbabwe Defence Force Zimbabwean Freedom Army

List of Abbreviations xv ZIMCORD ZIPRA ZISCO ZNA ZPM ZSS Zimbabwe Conference for Reconstruction and Development Zimbabwean People's Revolutionary Army Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company Zimbabwean National Army Zimbabwe People's Militia Zimbabwe Shipping Services