The SADF and Cuito Cuanavale

In 1987/88 the dusty southern Angolan town of Cuito Cuanavale became the scene of the final battles of the Border War. Today it is the focal point of the public debate over the question who actually won the war. The alliance of the Angolan MPLA government, Cuba and the Namibian freedom movement SWAPO claim that the South African Defence Force (SADF) wanted to use Cuito Cuanavale as a springboard for an advance on Luanda, but that they eventually forced the SADF to withdraw from Angola. This, in turn, helped to bring an end to apartheid, they contend. The leadership of the SADF, however, states that taking Cuito Cuanavale was never a serious objective and that they had no plans to overthrow the Angolan government.