Angola 1966-1968 - my father's tour of duty

[Predatorpt]

Mr Afonso's being a bit blinkered in his thinking, even if he is essentially right. South Africa's and Rhodesia's ties with Angola and Mozambique were not just military, but economic too. The Rhodesians relied on the 'Beira Corridor' as their main route for goods into and out of their country (not counting the fact that large numbers of Rhodesians visited the 'seaside' on their holidays). The closing of the Mozambique Border in 1975 was perhaps the biggest blow struck against the white regime in a single act.

There was also massive South African investment in the Calueque hydro-electric facility in Angola, which not only provided power to Namibia, but also large quantities of water for irrigation. Across the whole region of Southern Africa there were numerous economic and financial relationships that went across the various borders. These were so important that at one point the South Africans ceased their support of Rhodesia for a period, while they attempted to establish a 'relationship' with newly independent Mozambique.

Excuse the unintended pun, but everything is not black and white when dealing with Africa.

I'm eager to read the full "Alcora" book because it's got much more information, including about the economics involved. There's also this book:

http://www.wook.pt/ficha/salazar-caetano-e-o-reduto-branco/a/id/14317816

Basicaly it maps the diplomatic attempts by Portugal, SA and Rhodesia to create a white redoubt in that zone, with the white population in Angola and Moçambique declaring their "independence" from Portugal.