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CASSINGA - Where does the LIES stop, and the TRUTH begin?

Boerseun

Number Posts: 166
Last Post: 23.07.2008, 14:23

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Wednesday, 14. May 2008 at 00:22

As I have shown in previous posts regarding the bombing of Barclays Bank (FNB) in Oshakati, only a fool can accept history as presented by swapo. They are guilty of planting that bomb, the culprit was caught and sentenced, and still swapo maintain it was the handiwork of the “boers”!!

Cassinga is no different. Swapo claims it was a refugee camp, but the place was fortified with trench systems (capable of providing mutual fire support), anti aircraft weapons etc. Some refugee camp!
Cassinga was under the command of Dimo Amaambo, who was also a resident of Cassinga town. Amaambo was a PLAN ( ie military) commander, not a “commissioner for refugees !!

Also, prior to the attack on Cassinga, the SA Air force conducted some photographic missions. These photos showed, in addition to Cassinga being a major military stronghold, that a schoolbus that was hijacked shortly before in Ovamboland was present at the base. Swapo kidnapped these children, and took them to Cassinga to train them as fighters, or to serve as prostitutes and slaves in their camps. (this busload of children were not the only people kidnapped by swapo. It was a normal part of their operations to kidnap ordinary people, either to interrigate them as “spies”, or train them as freedom fighters, or for “comfort” for the men) Also, a lot of naive Namibians were lured into swapo camps with promises of a better education in Russia, Cuba etc. These people did NOT go to be trained as fighters, but once in the swapo trap, their choice was to fight, or go to the holes of Lubango. Hence, not all “civilians” at the base were there out of their own free will. Their deaths are regrettable, and the blame rests squarely with swapo.

South Africa’s version of events is also a bit “economical” with the truth, although theirs is a deceit by omission rather than straight lies ( i.e. what they say is the truth, but more happened than what they are saying) Their claims of a “unparralleled military success” , for example, is the truth only if you look at the simple mathematics of the battle ( badly outnumbered, they still inflicted 750 casualties – 600 plan and 150 Cubans dead, versus 3 South Africans killed, 1 missing, presumed dead) What they (SA) omit from their version, was that ALMOST NONE of their original objectives for attacking the base were met, and they made some hugely unproffessional errors which delayed the proper assault by about 1 hour, and nearly cost the lives of their men. (Part ot their original aim was to capture Dimo Amaambo,and some other individuals for interrogation. Also, they did NOT want an engagement with the Cubans, which happened. They also had serious time over-runs as opposed to their plans ) Cassinga was won for the South Africans NOT by the Paratroopers on the ground, but due to some skilled flying by the South Africa Air Force, and to a lesser degree, by the “brave” swapo command fleeing the camp, leaving their own people leaderless.

Lets now delve a bit deeper into the events, and take a critical look at the lies and truths of this battle. Maybe, especially looking at swapo’s tradition of spreading lies and rumours, some people may come to relise that they should NOT take everything at face value.

Fistly, none of swapo’s accounts make any mention of the presense of hundreds of trained swapo soldiers, nor of the Anti Aircraft weapons, trenches, foxholes, reinforced AFV bunkers, pill boxes etc. The reason for this is simple: All these things are in line with a properly defended military base, not a refugee camp. Any mention of this would contradict their own claims. This is a BIG part of the swapo lie about cassinga, and the subsequent propaganda they spread.

Also interesting to note, both Dimo Amaambo ( the plan commander in chief) and Greenwell Mutongo were present at the base, but when the attack happened, these two “brave sons of Namibia” chose to run away as fast and far as possible, leaving the Cassinga base without the vital leadership needed to defend themselves. Swapo could not react against the cowardice of these two, since it would mean they would have to admit Cassinga was a military base, rather than a refugee camp. Amaambo went on to head the NDF in post-independence Namibia, and Greenwell Mutongo is honoured by having some public facility named after him!! All that for RUNNING AWAY!!

Many civilians died in this attack as well. Please note, not all deaths were civillian! The civillians that were there, were in the processs of being trained as plan soldiers. ( eccept the few individuals who were kidnapped by swapo) Subsequent swapo propaganda tries to paint the picture that ONLY civillians died in the attack. Also, every year the 4th of May, we hear about how these “helpless woman and children were bayonetted to death” The wounds – wich swapo tries to portray as inflicted by bayonets, is actually the type of wounds one would associate with scrapnel from the aerial bombardment!

Also, from personal accounts by the SA paras, when entering the trenches to try and silence the AA guns being deployed in a ground-fire role, the “brave” plan fighters used civilians as human shields. No doubt, knowing that the SADF was staffed by civilised people, they reasoned the SADF will not kill their civilian human shields. The mistake they (the plan “heroes”) made was to SHOOT at the South African soldiers from behind the human shields. This left the SA soldiers with a “kill or be killed” option. They reasonably chose the latter. The result is a large number of dead plan fighters, as well as a large number of dead civillians, all killed by the SA forces. The deaths of these civilians rests on the concience of swapo as well. Deeper into the trenches, all resistance was by UNIFORMED and ARMED male and female plan combatants.

Swapo’s lies also denies them the opportunity to highlight one of the very vew (if not only) cases of actual BRAVERY under fire by plan soldiers. According to soldier’s accounts, they met fierce resistance at one of the swapo gun emplacements. Repeatedly, the South Africans would kill the gun crew, only to have a new wave of plan soldiers take up position at the gun. In the end 95 plan soldiers died trying to maintain resistance from that gun. By all accounts, TRUE bravery under fire. This, however, goes unmentioned in Namibian history, since it does not “gel” with swapo’s “refugee camp” claims. The result is that 95 heroes remain nameless and un-acknowledged, while the cowards who were supposed to command them, deserted and were given hero staus (and posh jobs, of course!) later.

Another critical error by swapo was to become to “relaxed” at their base 250 km away from Namibia. Their defences also were in line with defending against a normal ground attack, not an exclusive airborne invasion. They became too complacent, and it cost them dearly. I cant help but wonder if this “nothing will happen to us” attitude currently displayed by swapo may one day explode in their face, to haunt them for another 30 years.

The South African Truth and Reconcilliation Comission, set up after ANC took over under Bishop Desmond Tutu, had the following to say about Cassinga in 1998:
“It is clear that from the SADF’s perspective, Kassinga was a military facility rather than essentially a refugee camp or refugee transit facility, as SWAPO has always claimed. The photographic evidence shown to the Commission at the SADF archives suggests a military dimension to the camp.”
At least THEY came a bit closer to the truth!!

They say history is written by the victorious. Since the history on this saga is not yet finalised, one cannot call swapo as “victorious” before they are “brave” enough to admit the truth. Maybe they will, once the “old school” swapo ledership are all dead and buried. Untill then, we will have to endure their lies and false history.

On the 4th May 1978, in a town called Cassinga in Angola, 750 people AND THE TRUTH died. We should take a lesson from that. Let their deaths not be in vain.