Soviet Warships won’t deter S.A. — Botha

Press, 26 February 1981, Page 7

Soviet Warships won’t deter S.A. — Botha

NZPA Johannesburg South Africa says the Soviet Union is testing the new Reagan Administration by sending its warships to visit ports in Mozambique. The Prime Minister (Mr Pieter Botha), giving Pretoria’s first high-level reaction to the dispatch of the ships, accused the Kremlin of opportunism and “gunboat diplomacy.” He said he hoped the United States shared South Africa’s concern. Yesterday, the political commentator of South African State Radio — whose views are invariably aligned on those of the Government — said the presence of the Soviet warships at Beira and Maputo was “the first and biggest test

that America’s new Govern-, ment will have to face.” At least three Soviet Navy ships have arrived at Mozambican ports since a raid last month by South African commandos on South African black nationalist targets in a suburb of Maputo, the capital. The Portuguese News Agency has reported that the warships — a destroyer, ia cruiser and a tender — 'were sent as a warning tc !Pretoria that the Russians would stand by their friendship treaty with Mozambique. So far. President Samora Machel has not allowed the i Soviet Union to establish i bases in -Mozambique. But I the Soviet Ambassador (Mr ■Valentin Vdovin) was quoted by the British conservative

newspaper, the “Daily Telegraph,” as saying that more Soviet ships would be going there soon. Mr Botha said that the presence of the Soviet warships in Mozambique would not stop South Africa from attacking black guerrilla bases in that country.

The State radio quoted Mr Botha as telling its political correspondent that South Africa did not seek trouble with its neighbouring States, but it would not stand by silently and allow internationally oriented terrorist groups to undermine its stability. South Africa would carry out more raids against the black nationalists if it were in South Africa’s interests, the Prime Minister told the radio.