MONTHLY REPORT -- SWAZILAND BUREAU -- FEBRUARY 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150011-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: March 4, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150011-4
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
P. 0. Box 199
Mbabane, Swaziland
4 March 1986
MMB-5017
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Swaziland Bureau -- February 1986
I. GENERAL
Wordage Record -- Yet another bureau wordage record, 524,100
words for the month.
Rise of Rand -- Since President P. W. Botha's 31 January speech
opening parliament, the rand has been rising against the dollar. Whereas
a few months ago a dollar stood at 2.6 rands, it now brings less than
2 rands, and predictions in the press are for a further rise, despite
the fact that unrest shows no signs of abating. South Africa, however,
reached agreement with its foreign bank creditors, which has undoubtedly
helped the currency, as has the world-wide fall of the dollar.
House Search -- After having progressed will in the search for a
house for the bureau's new editor, the house which the bureau was close
to reaching agreement on was suddenly and inexplicably taken off the
market, putting us back to square one. The Mbabane housing market is
very tight at present, which some attribute to the approaching coronation
of the new king. The fact that the embassy and USAID are also in the
market further complicates the search.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. The 7th of February was a remarkable day in the South African
parliament. President P. W. Botha announced the lifting of the state of
emergency in seven districts. He took the floor in a debate to publicly
repudiate a statement by Foreign Minister Pik Botha that a black might
become president of South Africa some day, a repudiation which provoked
wide criticism among the blacks and may undercut his National Statutory
Council initiative. And Progressive Federal Party and official opposition
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leader Frederick van Zyl Slabbert resigned from parliament saying he
was not convinced that President Botha really intended to dismantle
apartheid and that his reform program was "simply not good enough."
These stories all broke on SAPA within minutes of each other. BBC
Newsburo sent thanks for the bureau's "very timely copy" on the three
stories, which "beat the competition" and were used by the BBC World
Service.
2. For a week in the middle of the month, rioting erupted in
Alexandra, a Johannesburg township less than a mile from the poshest
shopping area in the city and a hotel much favored by visiting Americans.
While the official death toll was put at 22, unofficial sources estimated
that it was as high as 80. Independent verification was impossible,
however, as the police immediately banned the press, and media reporting
from the scene was very sparse. Bishop Desmond Tutu and other churchmen
intervened to attempt to dampen the situation, but after meeting with a
representative of President Botha, Tutu had to tell residents the
government would not meet their demands and was booed by those in attendance.
SAPA and the various newspapers provided some independent reporting,
but Johannesburg radio and television carried only the police reports.
3. On the 4th, Angolan President Dos Santos spoke at a rally in
Luanda to mark the 25th anniversary of the launching of the struggle
for independence, carried live on Luanda radio. In reaction to the visit
to Washington by UNITA leader Savimbi, Dos Santos said that "some
conservative gentlemen in Washington have decided for themselves to make
decisions on the future of Angola," but that the Angolan people rejected
this interference and would have "the final word." Angolan leaders
continued their criticism of the U.S. throughout and after the Savimbi
visit with Foreign Minister Van Dunem on the 25th, calling U.S. aid
to UNITA a "declaration of war" against Angola. Johannesburg Television
carried a lengthy Savimbi interview on the Network program discussing
his visit to the U.S. and Johannesburg commentaries praised the U.S. action.
4. Another aspect of the Dos Santos anniversary speech was his
discussion of problems in the country. This was followed by a shakeup
of high-level officials on the 13th and at the end of the month, the
president removed the security minister, assuming the portfolio
himself but appointing a deputy minister to handle day-to-day affairs.
5. At the end of the month,. Johannesburg Television began a Teledata
service during periods when SABC-TV is not broadcasting. The service
carries news headlines, short news reports in English and Afrikaans, sports
news, advertisements, "Top 20" song lists, and other entertainment
material. The news appears to be only short SAPA reports with no
unique material or news flashes. However, the bureau is continuing to
observe the service to determine if it carries any news ahead of other
media and is furnishing MOD with a video recording of the new service.
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-3-
6. Bureau cruising efforts have been hampered by a continuing
high volume of regular coverage and a shortage of one monitor in each
monitoring section. However, surveys of Johannesburg domestic service in
English and Afrikaans were completed during the month. In response to
an MOD request, bureau attempted to monitor Radio Zanzibar, with limited
success, but was unable to hear either the Seychelles or Mauritius,
probably because the Mt. Kelley remote site has no antenna specifically aimed
at the East African coast. Two weeks worth of Johannesburg in Zulu
casts were surveyed to determine if unique material was being carried
after bureau monitored from that service several unique items after the
31 January P. W. Botha speech. However, on the casts surveyed, nothing
unique was carried. Bureau will continue to spot-check the cast, particularly
after major government announcements.
B. Lateral Services
1. On the 11th, Tim Carney, political officer in Cape Town,
requested that bureau items of RSA political developments be filed to
the U.S. mission in Geneva for Ambassador Nickle, who was in Switzerland
for several days.
2. Carney also asked for an interview by Zambian President Kuanda
in the WEEKLY MAIL, the South African paper which is the successor to
the RAND DAILY MAIL, to be processed and sent to the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. The bureau tested candidates for the vacancies in the Afrikaans/
African lanugages Section and now has two in processing. A candidate STAT
is also processing for the extra teletypist position.
2. wife of Portuguese monitor STAT
has been selected to i the bureau's part-time associate editor's
position preparing the RSA press review. Aside from doing well on a
press review writing test passed the Afrikaans monitors test and will STAT
be able to assume scanning of the Afrikaans press from the monitoring section.
3. Bureau employees and STAT
were all promoted to GS-10, GS-10 and GS-11 respectively, STAT
e ective 2 February 1986.
IV. VISITS
To the Bureau
Deputy Director of FBIS, visited the bureau 18-20 February.
Acting Chief, Swaziland Bureau
STAT
STAT
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Swaziland Bureau Production Report for February 1986
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 524100
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 14170
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1191
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(minutes or issues per week)
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ANGOLA
Luanda Domestic Service in
Portuguese
Luanda ANGOP in
English
Luanda ANGOP in
French
Luanda ANGOP in
Spanish
BOTSWANA
Gaborone Domestic Service in
English
Gaborone BOTSWANA DAILY NEWS in
English
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Voice of Resistance of the
Black Cockerel in
Portuguese to Angola
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
English to Zimbabwe
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
Ndebele to Zimbabwe
(Clandestine) Voice of Truth in
Portuguese to Angola
(Clandestine) KUP in
Portuguese to Southern and Central
Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in
English to Southern and Central
Africa
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
5715.00 11310.00 139.00
min. min. issues
228240 117770
1090
280
570
0
1380
1140
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
(Clandestine) KUP in
French to Southern and Central
Africa
LESOTHO
Maseru Domestic
English
Maseru Domestic
seSotho
seSotho
Maseru NATION
English
Maseru THE COMET
English
MADAGASCAR
Antantanarivo Domestic Service in
French
MALAWI
Blantyre Domestic Service in
English
Blantyre DAILY TIMES in
English
Blantyre MALAWI NEWS in
English
MOZAMBIQUE
Maputo Domestic
Portuguese
Maputo in
English to
Maputo NOTICIAS
Portuguese
Maputo TEMPO in
Portuguese
Beira DIARIO DE
Portuguese
Southern Africa
in
NAMIBIA
Windhoek Domestic Service in
Afrikaans
Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in
Afrikaans
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Windhoek DIE SUIDWESTER in
Afrikaans
Windhoek THE WINDHOEK ADVERTISER in
English
Windhoek WINDHOEK OBSERVER in
English
SENEGAL
Dakar PANA in
English
Dakar PANA in
French
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg International Service in
English 4350
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
Afrikaans 1230
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
English 26670
*Johannesburg Domestic Service in
Zulu 0
Johannesburg Television in
Afrikaans 12310
Johannesburg Television in
English 27170
Umtata Capital Radio in
English 14960
Johannesburg SAPA in
English
Pretoria DIE TRANSVALER in
Afrikaans
*Cape Town CAPE TIMES in
English
Durban ILANGA in
Zulu
Johannesburg BEELD in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in
English
Johannesburg CITY PRESS in
English
Johannesburg O'SECULO in
Portuguese
Johannesburg RAPPORT in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg SOWETAN in
English
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BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
Johannesburg
English
Johannesburg
English
SUNDAY STAR in
SUNDAY TIMES
U
Johannesburg
English
Johannesburg
English
THE CITIZEN in
THE STAR in
2040
Johannesburg
English
WEEKLY MAIL in
4590
RSA Editorial Press Review of
Afrikaans and
English Papers
SWAZILAND
Mbabane Domestic Service in
English
Mbabane Domestic Service in
siSwati
Mbabane Television in
English
Mbabane Television in
siSwati
Mbabane THE SWAZI NEWS in
English
Mbabane THE SWAZI OBSERVER in
English
Mbabane THE TIMES OF SWAZILAND in
English
UNITED KINGDOM
London BBC World Service in
English
USSR
Moscow in
Ndebel e
Moscow in
Zulu
Moscow in
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Domestic Service in
English
Lusaka Radio Freedom in
English
1890
70
0
670
4800
840
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150011-4
Lusaka Radio Freedom in
Zulu to Southern Africa
Lusaka Voice of Namibia
English
Lusaka SUNDAY TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
Lusaka TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
Lusaka ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL in
English
ZIMBABWE
Harare Domestic Service in
English
Harare Domestic Service in
English
Harare Voice of Namibia in
English
Harare THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE in
English
Harare THE HERALD in
English
Harare THE SUNDAY MAIL in
English
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
4220
0
0
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