SANF 25 no 6 by Raymond Ndhlovu, SARDC
23 March is a special date in the calendar of the SADC region as it marks one of the major turning points in the history of Southern Africa`s struggle against colonial rule and apartheid.
The date was selected by the 16 Member States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to commemorate Southern Africa Liberation Day. The date marks the last battle in southern Angola, at Cuito Cuanavale in 1988.
This battle is written large in history as the “war to end all wars” after which South Africa began its retreat from apartheid and the region, culminating into a series of key events such as the release of Nelson Mandela from prison on 11 February 1990, independence of Namibia on 21 March 1990 and democratic elections in South Africa on 27 April 1994.
For today`s youth, this history is more than just a story of past struggles, it can serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of resilience and solidarity across borders in resolving contemporary challenges of the region, providing a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities beyond national boundaries.
As the youth of Southern Africa navigate contemporary challenges, the lessons and values from the shared liberation past remain profoundly relevant, echoing the importance of preserving the hard won freedom.
The courage shown by the generations that fought at Cuito Cuanavale represents the spirit of determination that young people can harness as they confront contemporary challenges such as social exclusion, discrimination and intolerance that undermine efforts for regional integration and unity.
In August 1975, just a few months before Angola declared its independence in November, apartheid South Africa invaded southern Angola. This military incursion was part of a broader strategy to destabilise the emerging nation, and its neighbours.
During this tumultuous period, the South African military conducted airstrikes targeting the Angolan army, the South West Africa People`s Organization (SWAPO), and refugee camps.
As we reflect today, we can see that the struggle for liberation in the region was an arduous endeavour, marked by the brutal realities and repression of colonial rule and apartheid.
Despite gaining independence, Angola did not find peace as part of the country was controlled by other groups that were well-armed by apartheid South Africa, which also occupied an area in the south of the country, said to be a 50-km strip along the border for defence purposes, but intended to weaken Angola and attack the SWAPO liberation fighters from South West Africa (now Namibia) which was occupied by South Africa.
Among the atrocities was the raid by South African apartheid forces on a camp for Namibian refugees at Cassinga in Huila Province on 4 May 1978.
It was one of the largest airborne operations by the South African Defence Force (SADF) which dropped almost 400 paratroops near the town and bombed camps and bases nearby, followed by a ground attack. More than 600 Namibians were massacred by SADF troops, including a large number of women and children, and hundreds were injured.
A UN mission visited Cassinga and described the attack as “criminal in legal terms and savage in moral terms”. A few weeks later, 600 Namibian children, mainly survivors of Cassinga, arrived in Cuba to study.
4 May is Cassinga Day in Namibia, a public holiday to reflect on those who gave their lives
for independence.
The South African Defence Force stretched itself one step too far in defence of their apartheid system of racial segregation, when they conducted raids and attacks further into the country in 1987 against the well-trained and armed Angolan army and SWAPO liberation fighters, strengthened by Cuban revolutionary forces, some of whom lost their lives and are considered heroes in Africa.
Apartheid South Africa was confronted in southern Angola and their advance was halted in a major military confrontation that lasted for several months, culminating eventually in the decisive clash at Cuito Cuanavale in March 1988.
The defeat of the South African apartheid forces at Cuito Cuanavale led to negotiations involving the United Nations, Angola, Namibia, Cuba and South Africa, among others, which eventually resulted in a South African withdrawal from Namibia, which returned to UN mandate for a transitional period leading to elections for a constituent assembly, and independence two years later, on 21 March 1990.
The small town of Cuito Cuanavale in the province of Cuando Cubango in the southern part of Angola was the epicentre of one the fiercest conventional battles in Africa.
From November 1987 to March 1988, thousands of combatants from the People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) supported by the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) and the Cuban Revolutionary Forces fought to defend the country and defeat the armed forces of the apartheid regime of South Africa.
The backdrop of these events not only highlights the atrocities committed during the apartheid era but also provides the key to understanding the significance of the battle at Cuito Cuanavale, a pivotal moment that ultimately transformed the tide of liberation across southern Africa, enabling the region to advance toward regional development and integration.
The first celebration was held on 23 March 2019 at Cuito Cuanavale, where a museum has been established and military hardware remains. In his remarks on that day, at the first gathering of SADC leaders to commemorate the Southern Africa Liberation Day, President João Lourenço of Angola thanked them for their decision.
He said “the Republic of Angola is proud for this historic decision which enables the present and future generations of the southern African region to remember the countries and people who played a part in the liberation struggle so that their sacrifices are not forgotten.”
In addition to Southern Africa Liberation Day, the 38th SADC Summit, hosted by Namibia in 2018, approved the establishment of a regional working group of curriculum experts to pursue the decision made the previous year for teaching Southern African Liberation History (SALH) and its inclusion in the school syllabus of SADC Member States.
The leaders also put in place a mechanism to honour the Founders of SADC in various ways such as naming of streets and buildings.
The decision by the SADC Council of Ministers to integrate Southern African Liberation History into schools is a gift to the younger generations to know their heritage and thus their identity through the strategies that brought freedom to the region.
This offers an opportunity to inspire today`s youth to forge a shared future, ensuring that the legacy of liberation remains a living story that can be told in films and videos, music, stories, poetry, books, and all forms of media.
The rich history, legacy and values are shared through a series of 12 short modules intended to provide resource materials that share knowledge on the regional dimensions and linkages of the liberation period, the vision of regional integration, and the values of inclusion, diversity, peace and tolerance.
The modules each have three components that are accessible online as a video, a small book of stories and social media platforms.
The first module Youth in the Liberation Struggle and Beyond is introductory, as most of those involved in regaining freedom were Youth, who often went to live in neighbouring countries and worked together across borders to remove colonial rule and apartheid from the region.
The second module on Teaching and Learning Liberation History is in production. Module 3 on Liberation History through the Eyes of Women will also be available this year.
These modules are being developed by the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) in partnership with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa. sardc.net
