Reports of mutiny among troops attached to units of the South West Africa Territory Force (SWATF) have snowballed this week with confirmation of more soldiers "refusing to obey a lawful order". In the wake of reports last week of a mutiny within the ranks of the SWATF's 101 Battalion in northern Namibia come allegations of three more units facing internal dissent. And at least one of these has been confirmed by authorities.
Last week, the Weekly Mail reported that about, 400 members of SWATF's 101 Battalion had refused to fight in southern Angola in support of Jonas Savimbi's Unita rebels.These soldiers were either under arrest or had resigned. The SWATF at first declined to comment. The South African Defence Force rejected the report as "absolutely untrue". However, SWATF then admitted 27 cases of soldiers who had "problems" with their deployment though denying this was a mutiny. The problems, he said, had already been ironed out and the men were engaged in their usual dudes. In a letter published last week in the Namibian newspaper in Windhoek, a soldier who gave his name as Tully.
Shillongo of Oshakati alleged he was one of the 400 soldiers who were on strike in 101 Battalion. He said that about 360 of these were in custody and 48, himself included, had resigned. He said he had resigned because he was being forced to fight on the side of Unita in Namibia, that he was not an Angolan fighting on Angolan soil, and because many of "our" fighters had been captured a killed at Mavinga and their parents had not been informed.
The Namibian also reported that 202 Battalion had recently had a serious crisis when 48 soldiers refused orders and opted to resign. They were protesting what they termed unfair fines" and other grievances. A SWATF representative declinedto comment until he investigated. A source in the Caprivi Strip said this week that 701 Battalion, based in the area, had been having similar problems. Approximately 40 members have allegedly asked to be transferred out of the operational area.
A representative of the SWATF liaison division, Commandant Lieb Bester, yesterday said 47 members of 701 Battalion had appeared at a court martial on November 10, where they faced charges of "refusing to obey a lawful order. He said they were all found guilty and discharged from the SWATF. He declined to give details of the charges, saying this was "an internal matter".
And a member of SWATF's combat auxiliary service, which is manned by volunteers, this week described how 400 of his colleagues had been fired from the unit. He said the men, who had complained of bad treatment and conditions, had been addressed by a brigadier who told themto leave as they could easily be replaced by "3 000 Ovambos". It is believed most of these problems are related to the fact that SWATF troops are having to go into Angola and support Unita in its battle against Fapla troops.
Meanwhile, as the fighting in the north intensifies, Windhoek appears increasingly to be the target of bomb attacks. On Wednesday night, three bombs exploded in the northern industrial area just outside the capital. Two telephone poles were destroyed and the main railway line damaged in the blasts. Nobody was injured. A police representative said yesterday Russian-made MUV2 mines with about 200 grams of explosives were probably used. – Mark Verbaan
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
