By Mary Mostert, Editor Reagan Monitor
March 1, 2001
In 1989, after Nelson Mandela was released from jail, and while the Angola War was still raging, Cuban troops, with weapons from the USSR, were fighting in the Angola Civil War
The USSR and with Cuban troops were supporting the Marxist "Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA)" The US (and in spite of sanctions - with the assistance of South African troops) was supporting the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Cuban troops were there from 1976. The war ended in May 1991. The ANC was saying that "Cuban Troops will be in Pretoria in 18 months."
Instead, the USSR collapsed. During 1991-1992 USSR was sending back thousands of African "students" they no longer had the money to support. With the fall of the USSR, and Cuba no longer threatening South African borders, President de Klerk and the Nationalists felt they could afford to loosen up on some of the laws - the end result of which was the election and Mandela becoming part of the transition government. He is president. F.W. de Klerk is still vice president.
Since Mandela's election, violence has skyrocketed. The jobless rate is worse and it's almost impossible to sell real estate. The Rand, which was once worth about the same as the dollar - is now worth about 25 cents. Mandela keeps wanting American Businesses to invest money in South Africa.- Labor Union strikes are worse now than ever. The black labor unionists, who found they could create a lot of havoc by striking against the "white" regime are striking more frequently against the "black" regime.
With the economy teetering, loans coming in from Japan to help with recent flooding, efforts being made to lure foreign, especially American capital to jump start the lagging economy, and with few South African industries making a profit in a very unstable situation, Mandela's threat to send South African weapons to Cuba in simply incredibly stupid. So far, few American investor are willing to risk investing in South Africa. Some who have are losing money rapidly.