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This changed the dynamics of the region as negotiations began in Zambia for a tran-
sition period in Mozambique that began in September 1974, ending with Independence
on 25 June 1975. Independent Mozambique was able to provide a rear base and support
for the liberation of Zimbabwe and later South Africa.
Apartheid South Africa wanted to establish a “co-prosperity sphere” which they
called a Constellation of Southern African States (CONSAS). The “constellation” would
depend on South Africa economically, militarily and technologically, and increase the
dependence of neighbouring states on a South African hub as well as providing a security
buffer zone against the liberation movements. Pretoria’s hopes for recognition of its plan
were dashed by the determination of the national liberation movements, by the coup
d’etat in Portugal in 1974, and by two related events in early 1980.

1.2 The Situation in the First Decade
The first disappointment for South Africa in 1980 was the announce-
ment of election results on 4 March for an independent majority gov-
ernment in Zimbabwe, no longer to be constrained by the 90 years of
colonial exploitation called Southern Rhodesia. Not surprisingly, the
majority voted in large numbers for the liberation movement led by
Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo to guide the country to indepen-
dence and after.
The second event was 27 days later, on 1 April 1980, when the
SADCC was launched by nine countries in the region with the stated 11
aim of strengthening their economic cooperation and reducing de-
pendence on apartheid. In a grouping of states predominantly land-
locked and heavily dependent on trade routes
to the sea, transportation was top priority.
Central to the creation of SADCC was
the development of the regional transporta-
tion system away from South African routes.
However, the SADCC analysis that the focal
point for reducing, dependence on South Af-
rica lay in the communications system was
equally apparent to Pretoria’s policy planners
and it was this new option for the contiguous
states that Pretoria set out
to destroy. The King of
Lesotho, His Majesty Mo-
shoeshoe II was the first to
raise the alarm that South
Africa was imposing econ-
omic sanctions against in-
dependent majority-ruled
states in the region. These
economic sanctions were
often imposed militarily
by cutting transport links Some of the founding leaders of SADCC in Lusaka at the international airport after the 1980 Summit: (left to
by road and rail. right) Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, President of the United Republic of Tanzania ; Prime Minister-
National Archives, Netherlands
designate Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe; Sir Quett Ketumile Joni Masire, then Vice President of
Botswana; with their Host, President Dr Kenneth David Kaunda of Zambia.