MONTHLY REPORT -- SWAZILAND BUREAU -- DECEMBER 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 2, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150001-5
Embassy of the United States of America
P.O. Box 199
Mbabane, Swaziland
2 January 1987
MMB - 7001
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report -- Swaziland Bureau -- December 1986
I. GENERAL
A. Work on the initial security modifications and electricity
upgrades to the.house for our new editor began on 15 December.
Despite the inevitable delays, editor was able to move
into the house on 22 December. Several other improvements are still
necessary, and work on these will begin after the holidays.
B. A series of severe electrical storms hit Mbabane during the
month, twice knocking out power to the remote antenna site, on 20
and again on 24 December. The Bureau engineer was able to make
temporary repairs in both cases until the local authorities could
be contacted -- something that isn't easy during the holiday season.
The Bureau survived yet another spectacular storm on 26 December
without major damage.
C. On 23 December, the Bureau received a Christmas present in
the form of a message from the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria expressing
thanks for "your exceptional, quick work" in processing two inter-
views with RSA Foreign Minister Pik Botha on 22 and 23 December.
The Embassy also expressed its appreciation for the Bureau's
"continued invaluable and reliable support."
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. On 10 December, the South African Government reacted
to what it called a major threat to the stability of the country
by imposing further restrictions on the ability of the press to
report, not only on violent unrest, but also on passive opposition
to the government such as strikes, boycotts, and school protests.
A new "Interdepartmental Press Liaison Center" was set up to funnel
requests for clearance of unrest-related items to the proper auth-
orities. The new restrictions have been widely condemned by the
press and various civilian and religious organizations, and have
been challenged in court by the UDF and several moderate newspapers.
STAT
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2. Two days after the press restrictions, RSA security
forces arrested a number of trade unionists and community leaders;
banned several conferences and festivals; and seized five people,
including two Swiss citizens, on raids in neighboring Swaziland.
After strong protests by both Switzerland and Swaziland, three of
the detainees, including the two Swiss, were released amid reports
that they had been mistaken for ANC activists. RSA Foreign Minister
Pik Botha met with the Swazi prime minister on 22 December, but
refused, in a television interview that evening, to reveal details
of the talks or to acknowledge that the RSA had erred in raiding
Swaziland.
3. In two interviews during the month, Foreign Minister
Botha made strongly worded attacks on U.S. policy. He complained
that a major policy speech on 5 December by Secretary of State
Shultz condemned South Africa while ignoring abuses elsewhere in
Africa. In the second interview, he denounced U.S. interference
in South Africa's affairs and said that two congressional delega-
tions would be refused permission to visit the country to investi-
gate the impact of U.S. sanctions.
4. RSA President P'.W.Botha used the occasion of his annual
New Year's address to announce that a general election would be held
in the first half of 1987. He promised to reveal the exact date in
his 30 January speech at the opening of parliament, but speculation
centers on April.
5. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was expected to
announce a package of sanctions against South Africa following
meetings with Zambian President Kaunda. But in his New Year's
speech Mugabe said that the decision had been delayed pending
further study.
6. On 4 December, Mozambican President Chissano held his
first press conference with foreign journalists, in which he re-
jected talks with the MNR rebels and denied that he would abro-
gate the Nkomati Accord with South Africa. Two weeks later, on
18 December, Mozambique and Malawi signed agreements on security
and defense, in which, it is widely assumed, Malawi agreed to help
Mozambique in its fight against the insurgents.
7. Wide..speread rioting broke out in the copperbelt region
of Zambia over price increases of basic foodstuffs such as corn
meal. Despite the intervention of troops and a curfew, the violence,
which resulted in a number of deaths and much property damage, ended
only with the repeal of the price increases.
B. Lateral Services/Cruising
Maseru Domestic Service has been unmonitorable at the Bureau
since 30 November. Calls to the U.S. Embassy in Maseru on 10 and
18 December established that the radio's shortwave transmitter is
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150001-5
out of order and that station personnel are trying to fix it. The
radio continues to broadcast on mediumwave, which is unmonitorable
in Mbabane.
C. Technical
A new power supply for the Frederick 1403 Tape reader,
damaged in an electrical storm, was received from London Bureau
on 30 December. It was immediately installed, and the Frederick
was back on line the same day.
On 11 December, Embassy Community Liaison Officer Kari Johnson
visited the Bureau and was given a tour and briefing by the Bureau
Chief.
On 13 December, the Bureau Chief gave a presentation at the,
Ambassador's residence to introduce FBIS and what a field bureau
does to new arrivals at post.
STAT
Chief, Swaziland Bureau
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Swaziland Bureau Production Report for DEC1_11SE R 1906
TOTAL PURL I SHABLE WOR:I?AGE FILED J,_.i : I G '~(7NT
_7=bC
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE F IL =D DURING MONTH. =t;4:_0
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBL I SHABL'E I T EMS F is LE) DUI I NG M`1 ',NTH . 1. G~1."
I i I NFU1 i G F REGULAR C G) VER(-.G '' i ; ...<
(ininotes o, issues per wee.::; rnir. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ANGOLA
Luanda Domestic Service in
Portuguese
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 195:01
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
English to Zimbabwe
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
Ndebele to Zimbabwe O
(Clandestine) Voice of Truth in
Portuguese to Angola 19Q)
(Clandestine) KUP in
Portuguese to Southern and Central
Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in
English to Southern and Central
Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in
French to Southern and Central
Africa
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Maseru Domestic Service in
BROAD- PRESS FUEL I -
CAST S AGE1.1C 1 ES CAT 10 N3
seSotho O
9-:.-,ntyre Domestic Service in
English
Blantyre DAILY TIMES in
English
MCZAMBiQUE
Maputo Domestic Service in
Portuguese
Maputo in
English to Southern Africa
Maputo NOTICIAS in
Portuguese
Maputo TEMPO in
Portuguese
Beira; DIARIO..DE NOCAMBIQUE in
Portuguese
NAMIBIA
Windhoek ALLGEMEDE ZEITUNG
German
Windhoek DIE RE WLIKEIN
Afrikaans
Windhoek DIE SUI ESTER in
Afrikaans ?
Windhoek NAMIBI! in
English
Windhoek THE WINDHOEK. ADVERTISER in
English
SENEGAL
Dakar PANA in
English
Dakar PANA in
French
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150001-5
BROAD- PRESS F'UBL i ?-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Johannesburg 1 i Ravi si on in
Afr'i aan.-.
6600
Johannesburg Television in
_Erg! i 0--i
_41
U ITi ?_: i 1_ p. 1-. ? t .i. Radio in
Ehgi i
i0 104
E-:g1 z.
at::r M ANS 'n En
air". k:::t?:t(I_
Cape Town _..APE ..;DIES in
il_ti"i.:i.:ir'i L NGA in
tail
J oh a-f n esb ur g EEELD in
AFr ik:aans 0
Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in
English 3670
Johannesburg CITY PRESS in
English 0
Johannesburg DIE VADERLAND in
Afrikaans 0
Johannesburg.O'SECULO in
Portuguese 0
Johannesburg RAPPORT in
Afrikaans 2190
Johannesburg
English
SOWETAN in
2320
Johannesburg
English
SUNDAY STAR in
7630
Johannesburg
English
SUNDAY TIMES
1;60
Johannesburg
English
THE CITIZEN in
660
Johannesburg
English
THE STAR in
5000
johannesburg
English
WEEKLY MAIL in
4660
RSA Editorial Press Review of
Af ri .e:.ns and
English Papers
SWAZILAND
Mbabane Domestic Service in
English 490
Mbabane Domestic Service in
siSwati 0
Mbabane Television,,i
Eng1
t fah 110
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP87-01104ROO0100150001-5
Mbabane Television in
si swat i
Mbabane THE _NAZI NEWS in
Engi Isin.
Mbabane THE SWAZI in
OBSERVER
En g J. i
i st t
Mbabane THE TI'1ES OF SWAZILAND in
Engl 1 st
UNITED KINGD0111
London BBC Wur 7 J Service in
Engl. Q-,
USSR,
Moscow in
Ndebel e to Zimbabwe
Moscow in`
Zulu to Southern Africa
Moscow in
Afrikaans to Southern Africa
Moscow in -
English.to Southern Africa
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Domestic Service in
English
Lusaka Radio Freedom in
English
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
Engl i sh
Z IMBABWE
Harare Domestic Service in
English
Harare Domestic Service in
Ndebel e
Harare Voice of Namibia in
English
Harare THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE in
English
'ROAD- PRESS PUBL I -
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
9910
0
0
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100150001-5
BROAD- PRESS PURL I -
C ASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Harare THE HERALD in
English
Harare THE SUNDAY MAIL in
Eng1 i mil
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