Department of Military History

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Browsing Department of Military History by browse.metadata.advisor "Liebenberg, J. C. R."

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    A cold relationship: United States foreign policy towards South Africa, 1960 – 1990
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Barnard, Tjaart; Liebenberg, J. C. R.; Van der Waag, I. J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Science. School for Security and Africa Studies: Military History.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: The diplomatic relations between the United States (USA) and South Africa (SA) had its birth in 1799 with the establishing of a consulate in Cape Town. Over the next two centuries the political dealings between the two countries were at times limited to almost merely acknowledgement of the other’s existence, while at other times there was very close cooperation on almost all levels of state. Diplomatic ties were strengthened during the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and the Korean War when Americans and South Africans shared the same dugouts, flew in the same air missions, and opposed the same enemy on both the tactical as well as ideological fronts. During the Cold War, SA aligned itself with the Western world in the hope of being seen as staunchly anti-communist in order to fit in with the Cold War rhetoric of the West. Washington was delighted to have an ally in Southern Africa who would ensure, or so Washington hoped, that communism did not get a foothold in this strategically placed part of the globe. Unfortunately for the USA, South Africa’s apartheid policies went against everything that the USA proclaimed to stand for – freedom and democracy. The USA eventually found itself in a precarious position of having to choose between its own national interest and moral obligations. From 1960-1990 the USA-SA relationship oscillated as various personalities (presidents, politicians etc) and world events (e.g. Sharpeville massacre, Vietnam War, Watergate etc) impacted on it to various degrees. The USA-SA alliance consisted of political, economic and military relations (including nuclear weapons technology) which at times had to be clandestine in order for the USA to not lose its international prestige as leader of the free world. With SA however forging ahead with its policies of segregation and destabilisation the USA had to increasingly act under a cloak of plausible deniability in all spheres of its relationship with SA. The Soviet Union (USSR) and its allies (mainly Cuba) conducted military operations in Southern Africa and provided training to African liberation movements with the intention of helping them to achieve freedom from the apartheid regime or to protect themselves from Pretoria’s aggression, as was the case with Angola. Soviet support for the liberation movements in SA and the rest of Southern Africa was a mutual concern for both SA and the USA. Consequently the USA supported South African adventurism into its neighbouring countries under the auspices of preventing the communist forces from achieving world domination. By the end of the Cold War, the USA could no longer turn a blind eye to SA’s occupation of Namibia or the incursions into Angola. With assistance from the USA and other Western allies Pretoria was able to, in the greatest of secrecy and to the amazement of the world, built several nuclear weapons. SA’s nuclear programme never really reached a level where it could threaten the larger nuclear powers but it was troublesome enough to move the USA to action. By means of coercion and diplomatic pressure the USA managed to convince Pretoria to abandon its quest for a nuclear arsenal.
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    Exploring management practices of water resources and infrastructure at local government level as a threat to water security in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Botha, Johannes Hendrikus; Liebenberg, J. C. R.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Military Science. School for Security and Africa Studies: Military History.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Water resources management at local government level were explored as a threat to South Africa's national security. This study made use of a qualitative descriptive approach and an extensive literature review. The background to the current state of water affairs in South Africa and the management of water resources are discussed. The local government was chosen as the unit of analysis, as it serves the people in their communities. A theoretical and conceptual descriptive research approach was used and supported by accessible literature to create a connection between management theory and the current state of water management in South Africa. It is proposed that South Africa should make every effort to identify and address all water-related challenges that may contribute to water insecurity. Public entities are the backbone of the country’s water sector, spanning from catchment management agencies to municipal water service providers. They guarantee that there is water in the taps and that wastewater is treated. All businesses and all households use water and dispose of water; therefore water is everyone's business. South Africa’s rivers and streams are polluted every day, seemingly without any consequence management. The evidence shows that there is a loss of strategic direction and a struggle, if not some confusion, at local government level to get the fundamentals right. The basics need to be in place in business so that there is a sound basis from which to build and move forward. The same principle must apply to water management. Under normal circumstances, evidence shows that municipalities are unable to deal with even basic services such as clean water and sanitation, maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure. It is doubtful that local government will be able to deal with these challenges under extraordinary circumstances when extreme events such as droughts and floods take place as a consequence of climate change. Service delivery records indicate that local government is not rendering effective and efficient municipal services to all people. Some municipalities are entirely dysfunctional. In an attempt to identify poor management practices at local government as a threat to water security, it became evident that in cases where municipalities fail to render safe drinking water and dispose of wastewater responsibly, those municipalities are in breach of Section 24 of the Bill of Rights. Inappropriate and cavalier management practices deny South Africans a prosperous and secure future, as water is the cornerstone to the country’s future. Food security and water security are linked, and like a set of dominos that falls due to poor management practices, without water security, national security can come under threat.