African Activist Archive

The report says "Front Line States" refers to countries to the north of South Africa which are in the "Front line" in a war against South Africa, including Angola, Mozambique, The United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. These independent countries face economic dependence on South Africa. Botswana relies on South Africa for almost all its supplies and markets; Lesotho and Swaziland, although not called Front Line States, face these same economic and political problems; Angola and the United Republic of Tanzania have no direct trade links with South Africa, but their transport, geography, and politics are seriously affected by South Africa. Whenever South Africa inflicts transport or trade difficulties on neighboring land-locked States, the problems reverberate, taxing the already overburdened infrastructures of the coastal States such as Angola, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The great economic dependence on South Africa results in chronic balance of-trade deficits and deepening underdevelopment. Each year, South African mines employ 250,000 to 500,000 migrant laborers from neighboring States. With the exception of Zimbabwe, the Front Line States are not self-sufficient in food, due, in great part, to economic disruption by the South African government and drought. While Botswana is entirely dependent on fuel and energy from South Africa, the other Front Line States face serious difficulties because of sabotage of their fuel and energy industries by the South African government, including bombing of refineries, railroads, and pipelines. In Angola and Mozambique, South Africa uses a dual approach: direct attacks and support for internal armed resistance movements. In Mozambique, South Africa finances RENAMO (Mozambican Resistance Movement), mercenaries who terrorize the rural population through destruction of crops, railway lines, roads, bridges, electricity, water supplies, schools and clinics; the human casualties include well over 100,000 dead and nearly 1.5 million refugees. In Angola, South Africa supports UNITA (Uniao Nacional para Independencia Total de Angola), whose activities have devastated the economy and cost an estimated 60,000 lives.

African Activist Archive

Southern Africa on the Map: Front Line States

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