MONTHLY REPORT--SWAZILAND BUREAU--FEBRUARY 1988

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 25, 2013
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 2, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (0 pti ona I)
Monthly Report -- Swaziland Bureau
FROM:
Chief, Operations Group
EXTENSION
NO.
DATE
February 1988
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
INITIALS
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
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Exec. Reg.
FORM 610 USE PREVIOUS
7-79 EDITIONS
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25 : CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
THROUGH
SUBJECT
I. GENERAL
P.O. Box 199
Mbabane, Swaziland
2 March 1988
FBIS-5807-88
Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Chief, Operations Group
Monthly Report--Swaziland Bureau--February 1988
On 29 February, the new Embassy Health Unit opened for
business. The unit, which is funded proportionally by all Embassy
components, was created in response to the demand for medical
services which was more than the Peace Corps nurse could handle. It
is staffed by two registered nurses and an administrative assistant
and is open to all U.S. personnel during regular business hours for
routine medical complaints and tests.
II. OPERATIONAL
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The South African Government took another step against
antiapartheid opposition groups in the country on 24 February when it
banned or restricted 18 organizations. The affected groups include
the United Democratic Front, an umbrella organization including most
of the legal extra-parliamentary opposition, and the Congress of
South African Trade Unions, the largest labor organization. The
orders effectively prohibit the organizations from carrying on any
activities other than administrative functions. The move aroused
vociferous condemnation and vows of defiance from virtually all
opposition to the left of the National Party and from most foreign
governments. The main opposition Conservative Party, on the other
hand, said the bans did not go far enough. At least four of the
affected groups intend to fight the restrictions in court. A large
group of religious leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, were arrested and briefly detained when they
tried to present a petition protesting the move to President P.W.
Botha.
2. An attempted coup against the government of the
homeland of Bophuthatswana was quickly thwarted by South African
troops on 10 February. In a virtually bloodless assault, RSA forces
routed the small group of rebel soldiers and rescued the president,
Lucas Mangope. In a show of solidarity, RSA President P.W. Botha,
along with the foreign and defense ministers, visited Mangope and
pledged full support for the homeland government.
3. On 19 February, a bomb destroyed a bank in the Namibian
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
town of Oshakati, killing 26 people and injuring many more, making it
the worst such disaster ever in Namibia. Although the Namibian rebel
group SWAPO denied responsibility, RSA aircraft conducted
retaliatory attacks on SWAPO training bases in neighboring Angola on
20 and 21 February.
4. After apparently accepting the principle of a total
Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola, during talks with Chester Crocker
at the end of January, the Angolan Government sought to distance
itself from this concession by correcting U.S. "disinformation" on
the subject. In a series of communiques and speeches by various
officials, including President Dos Santos, the Angolans raised the
possibility of direct negotiations with the RSA if that government
rejected U.S. mediation. The Angolans continued to insist that any
Cuban withdrawal was conditional on the cessation of all support for
UNITA and steadfastly refused to consider negotiations with the rebel
group.
5. Meanwhile, the fighting around the strategic Angolan
town of Cuito Cuanavale intensified. The Angolans claimed a new
offensive by 7,000 RSA troops backed by tanks and artillery had been
repulsed with heavy losses, including six RSA aircraft. South Africa
confirmed that its withdrawal from Angola was slower than anticipated
and that "limited offensive action" had been necessary. The South
Africans also claimed victory while admitting to the loss on 10
soldiers and 1 aircraft.
B. Communications
Communications outages of varying lengths on 2, 4, 5, 6-7,
10, 19-20, and 25 February necessitated extensive use of Telex
for high-precedence material and numerous refi les of garbled items.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
An Afrikaans monitor candidate was placed in processing to
fill the remaining vacancy in the African Languages Section. A
promising candidate for the vacancy in the Portuguese Section was
dropped when it was learned that he had just become a U.S. citizen.
Recruitment efforts will now concentrate on South Africa.
B. Building and Grounds
A new front door lock with an electronic release button at
the admin assistant's desk and the duty editor position was installed
to provide better bureau access control.
Chief, Swaziland bureau
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Swaziland Bureau Production Report for FEBRUARY 1988
1. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES;
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH; 390610
TOTAL NON PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH; 30480
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH; 999
INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE;
(minutes or issues per week)
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES;
(publishable words per month)
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
English to Zimbabwe
(C.A.imidestinci?) KUP in English
to Southern and Central Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in French
to Southern and Central Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in Portuguese
to Southern and Central Africa
ANGOLA
Luanda DomeSfir Rpnrvicim in
Portuguese
BOTSWANA
Gaborone Domestic Service in
English
Gaborone BOTSWANA DAILY NEWS in
English
LESOTHO
Maseru Domestic Service in
English
Maseru Domestic Service in
seSotho
MALAWI
Blantyre Domestic Service in
English
Blantyre DAILY TIMES in
English
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
6255.00 14050.00 114.00
min. min. issues
280'
3:2790
2220
400
0
720
5310
500
0
0
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
MOZAMBIQUF
Maputo in
English to Southern Africa
Maputo Domestic Service in
6670
Portuguese
16730
Beira DIARIO DE MOCAMBIQUE in
Portuguese
0
Maputo DOMINGO in
Portuguese
0
Maputo NOTICIAS in
Portuguese
0
Maputo TEMPO in
Portuguese
0
NAMIBIA
Windhoek DIE REFIM IKFIN in
Afrikaans
0
Windhoek DIE SUIDWESTER in
Afrikaans
0
Windhoek THE NAMIBIAN in
English
Windhoek iHE WINDHOEK ADVERTISER
in
2560
English
790
SENEGAL
Dakar PANA in
English
Dakar PANA in
French
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg International Service in
English
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
English
Johannesburg Television Service in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg Television Service in
English
Umtata Capital Radio in
English
Johannesburg SAPA in
English
4960
15:30
22C;1:30
:14/00
7890
10E39121
21570
2930
10494
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
Cape Town CAPE TIMES
English
Cape Town DIE BURGER in
Afrikaans
Durban ILANGA in
Zulu
Johannesburg BEELD in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in
English
Johannesburg CITY PRESS in
English
Johannesburg DIE VADERLAND in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg NEW NATION in
English
Johannesburg RAPPORT in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg SOWETAN in
English
Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES in
English
Johannesburg THE CITIZEN in
English
Johannesburg THE STAR in
English
Johannesburg THE SUNDAY STAR in
Englfsh
Johannesburg THE WEEKLY MAIL in
English
RSA Editorial Press Review of
Afrikaans and English Press
1. n
SWAZILAND
Mbabane Domestic Service in
English
Mbabane Domestic Service in
siSwati
Mbabane Television Service in
English
Mbabane Television Service in
siSwati
Mbabane THE SWAZI NEWS in
English
Mbabane THE SWAZI OBSERVER in
English
Mbabane THE TIMES OF SWAZILAND in
English
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
. 550
0
330
0
Qj
* 730
11960
24 7 0
6360
1.390
2510
2000
7060
1860
11850
36720
0
400
UNION OF.SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow in Afrikaans
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8 mimmol
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8
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Moscow in English
to Southern Africa
Moscow in Zulu
to Southern Africa
UNITED KINGDOM
London BBC World Service in
English
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Domestic Service in
English
Lusaka SUNDAY TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
Lusaka TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
ZIMBABWE ,
Harare Voice of Namibia in
English
Harare Domestic Service in
English
Harare THE FINANCIAL GAZETTF in
English
Harare THE HERALD in
English
Harare THE SUNDAY MAIL in
English
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
420
20030
6990
0
14030
0
2290
250
II Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/25: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400090009-8