A story of war and peace in Mozambique and beyond, Memories at Low Altitude spans four decades of southern African history, from the point of view of one of its main protagonists. Jacinto Veloso fought in the Mozambican liberation struggle and served as a Minister in Samora Machel’s cabinet after independence, when the region was dominated by civil war and the conflict between East and West.
Veloso’s story covers many fascinating issues of this period, among them:
• the conflict between FRELIMO and the South African-backed RENAMO;
• the negotiations that resulted in the Nkomati Accord, in which he was a key participant;
• the processes that contributed to the withdrawal of Cuban and South African troops from Angola and the independence of Namibia;
• the impact of post-independence Mozambique’s strictly socialist economy and its subsequent shift to a more market-orientated approach; and
• the aeroplane crash in which Samora Machel was killed. Veloso’s insights are particularly interesting given his role in the commission of inquiry into the crash.
ISBN 978 1 77022 150 5 (print)
ISBN 978 1 77022 416 2 (ePub)
ISBN 978 1 77022 417 9 (PDF)
What really happened during South Africa’s military involvement in Angola? Did the military leaders always see eye to eye with the politicians – and with each other? Was South Africa responsible for the death of Mozambican President Samora Machel? What was the extent of South Africa’s nuclear programme? How did South Africa’s military machine deal with the end of apartheid?
Based on interviews with the former generals of the South African Defence Force, Days of the Generals addresses these and many other fascinating questions. The book looks in detail at South Africa’s intervention in Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. It examines the armed struggle of the ANC and the state’s war against the liberation movements. It investigates chemical and biological warfare, the ‘third force’ and other top-secret issues.
ISBN 978 1 86872 340 9 (Print)
ISBN 978 1 77022 227 4 (ePub)
ISBN 978 1 77022 228 1 (Pdf)
Every war has at least one – a unit so different, so daring, that it becomes the stuff of which legends are made and heroes are born. Among the South African forces fighting in Angola from 1975 to 1989, that unit was 32 Battalion.
Founded in utmost secrecy from the vanquished remnants of a foreign rebel movement, undefeated in 12 years of front-line battle, feared by enemies that included both conventional Cuban armies and Namibian guerrilla fighters, the Buffalo Soldiers became the South African army’s best combat unit since World War II, with no fewer than 13 members winning the highest decoration for bravery under fire.
But when peace broke out in southern Africa, the victors of Savate became the victims of sophistry. Their fate and future determined by politicians who understood little and cared less about this truly unique fraternity, 32 Battalion ceased to exist in 1993, its short history and long list of battle honours known only to those whose enemies called them Os Terriveis – the Terrible Ones.
Now, for the first time, the story of 32 Battalion can be told in full, with neither adornment nor apology, by one of its longest-serving members.
The book draws from top secret documents, revealing information that has never been made public before. Also included are rare photographs that evoke the colourful, and often controversial, history of 32 Battalion, as well as detailed maps depicting specific operations and deployments.
ISBN: 978 1 86872 914 2 (print)
ISBN: 978 1 77020 143 9 (ePub)
ISBN: 978 1 77020 144 6 (PDF)
A unit of the South African police, Koevoet was the most deadly fighting force involved in the Border War. This is the story of Arn Durand’s first years with Koevoet, from 1982 to 1983. Through his eyes, the madness, mayhem and complexity of war come alive as he describes patrols, ambushes and contacts, situations of certain death, dealings with the enemy and relationships with his Ovambo colleagues. A powerful account of extreme experiences, the book shows what it took to survive combat in the hostile environments of Namibia and Angola.
Zulu Zulu Golf does not glorify war. It simply relates, in a deadpan style, what it was like to be a killing machine in the heat of battle.
978 1 77022 148 2 (print)
978 1 77022 203 8 (ePub)
978 1 77022 204 5 (PDF)