Botha sets up probe of secret army plan

Press, 26 March 1980, Page 8

Botha sets up probe of secret army plan

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg The South African Parliament will today hold a special debate amid mounting anger over what Opposition leaders see as a military threat' to democracy. The Prime Minister (Mr Pieter . Botha) has already dissociated himself' from a leaked-document revealing a secret army plan to intervene in politics. He told Parliament in Cape Town that a formal inquiry would investigate the origin of - the plan. The Prime Minister had ordered a copy of the document' to be On h'iS desk this 'morning after excerpts were J published by the Johannesburg “Shnday Times” at the week-end causing an immediate uproar. Mr Botha said his policy was to- keep the South African Defence Force, the umbrella grouping of South Africa’s three • military wings, out of the political arena while positively • involving the Opposition in military policy through ibriefings and visits. But the Prime Minister’s statement failed to calm Opposition fears and the debate was hurriedly arranged. Harry Schwartz, the chief Opposition defence spokesman, said the army plan had

g “a potential adverse effect on the structure of demoi- cratic parliamentary governJ- ment.” g. The Prime Minister said’ "he would decide what action V to take after ■ receiving the report of the. inquiry, which r will be headed- by a former y Defence Force chief, Admiral a Hugo Biermann. a The document, published at greater length - yesterday , '- in the “Sunday Times’s” sisal ter newspaper, The “Rand ■ [Daily Mail;” instructed mili- ( ejtary departments ' to carry l [out a strategy “to nullify i the Opposition’s attack on ! - the Prime Minister during ■ s the Budget debate.” e Defen c e expenditure 1 - appears certain to figure j e prominently in the annual - Budget which the Finance ! Minister (Mr Owen Horf wood) will present to Parlia- i b ment tomorrow. < el The confidential document , tiwas signed by Major-General ; '[Phillip Pretorius, director- j 11 general of the Civic Action < - iDepartment at defence head- ( i quarters in Pretoria. It was ( 1 dated February 12. i “Die Vaderland,” an Afri- i > kaans newspaper which has j - close contacts with the Gov- ; ernment, said General Pre- t ■ torius had been relieved of v f his duties two weeks ago c • end transferred to another c i'department. 1

The paper said it was not known whether the move was connected with the document, which caused an ’uproar in Parliament and the press. A defence headquarters spokesman said he had no comment on the report. Army sources said they were forbidden to talk about the issue because it was the subject of an inquiry. The document, as published yesterday, listed articles glamourising service life. They played down complaints about military pay and approached the official South African Broadcasting Corporation to build up the image on television of the “competent and confident” soldier. The Johannesburg evening newspaper, the “Star.” quoted a former Broadcasting Corporation producer! as saying that after a meeting between four senior executives of the broad-!' casting system and Major-■[ General Pretorious, staff i‘ were told to make “sabre- 1 rattling films" as propa- ' ganda for the Defence Force. | The “Star” also reported ' that a top-level investigation ] was being conducted at 1 defence headquarters to find * out how the document was I leaked. 1