Particular acts occur which can affect the security of each of us and therefore demand vigilance and effective counter-measures. The concept of national security includes the survival of society as a whole, maintenance of the sovereignty of the state, protection of the territorial integrity of the state within its borders, political and economic stability etc. If the national security is threatened, the freedom of the individual will be affected. There are two main conflict issues in Southern Africa which have a direct bearing on South African security – Zimbabwe/Rhodesia and South West Africa/Namibia. Because of the unavoidable geographic, ethnic and economic links, the fate of all people in this region is intertwined. There are six origins of threats to the security of Southern Africa. In conclusion, in world history the greatest security threats to individual countries have arisen from immediate neighbours. Just as there are origins and types of threats, so the means of countering them also have to vary.
