This newsletter contains five articles and one brief report:
D. P. de Villiers’ article takes stock of recent developments in southern Africa. After the Lisbon coup, there was a realisation among the African states that escalating violence in Southern Africa would cause harm to all concerned. A balance must be struck in South Africa between maintaining security and effecting reforms.
Denis Venter’s article describes South Africa as an African power and the need for a detente policy in southern Africa. The internationalisation of the apartheid question forced the Republic to formulate a purposeful African policy. Relations with Africa were key to acceptance by the world community. South Africa has made a mistake by not capitalising on the positive aspects of the Lusaka Manifesto at an earlier stage.
Dirk Kunert’s article describes the conflict situation in Southern Africa, starting with the strategy of national liberation struggles. It discusses political hypocrisy and the need to keep a balanced perspective, apartheid and foreign policy, African-style containment policy, the culture clash between White and Black Africa, and the USSR’s scramble for Africa.
Michael H. H. Louw’s article describes the context of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). The agreement on nuclear arms control has not happened and the process of reducing strategic nuclear arms race appears to have bogged down. The major obstacle to SALT seems technical rather than political.
The last article describes the principles of West German defence policy, discussing the overall security situation, the relative strategic force capabilities and the balance of forces in Europe between NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
The brief report concerns global military expenditures reaching an all-time high.
