MONTHLY REPORT -- SWAZILAND BUREAU -- SEPTEMBER 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000300620004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 8, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
P. 0. Box 199
Mbabane, Swaziland
8 October 1985
MMB-5011
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH- Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report -- Swaziland Bureau -- September 1985
1. GENERAL
The bureau compiled another new wordage record during the month;
filing over 440,000 words, more than twice its "normal" output.
London Bureau teletypist Patrick Curtis continued to provide relief
for the section followinq the resignation of one of the teletypists in
August. Teletypist almost
a month earlier than expected and only a few hours after working an
evening shift with the bureau chief. Her absence put a further strain
on an already overworked section adding to the backlog and unavoidably
delaying some items, particularly routine ones.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. South African State President P. W. Botha delivered three
closely watched speeches during the month; to National Party provincial
meetings in the Orange Free State (OFS), the Transvaal and the Cape.
Somewhat surprisingly, the speech in the OFS--the heartland of Afrikaaner-
dom--was one of his most reformist. According to press reports this
speech was the one Botha had been scheduled to deliver at the Natal
party congress, but had backed out on at the last minute. Press coverage
varied. None of the media carried the texts of the speeches in Bloem-
fontein or Pretoria, with the bureau covering from SAPA and radio
reports combined with short television recordings. SABC-TV switched to Port
Elizabeth for the final portion of the Cape Province speech after SAPA
had already carried embargoed news reports on the highlights. The
text was carried the following day by BUSINESS DAY.
2. The situation in Angola deteriorated during the month as FAPLA
troops, reportedly led by Russian and Cuban officers and with very
sophisticated military equipment, launched an all-out attack on UNITA.
The SADF responded by launching an attack across the border which they
claimed to be a counterattack against SWAPO, but which Luanda radio--
amid other more unbiased sources--said was a move to bolster UNITA. The
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bureau filed battle reports from Luanda radio and ANGOP as well as
KUP, UNITA's press agency, and from South African media, which sent
reporters to UNITA headquarters in Jamba. At one point, the Johannesburg
STAR reported that the two countries were on the brink of war. The
bureau remained open late over several weekends to process Luanda radio
and ANGOP reports and commentaries and also had an editor, monitor and
teletypist on call during the most tense period in case the situation
worsened.
3. Numerous reports and speeches were monitored and filed on the
Nonaligned Foreign Ministers Conference held in Luanda 4-8 September.
Overtime was necessary in order to complete priority filing of Angola
President Dos Santos' opening speech to the conference at headquarter's
request. Much of staffers, year.
to hold the nonaligned
4. On the 30th, Maputo radio carried the 2-hour text of a press
conference by Mozambique Security Minister Vievira outlining alleged
South African violations of the Nkomati Accord. During the press con-
ference, the minister read at random from documents captured from the
Mozambique National Resistance detailing clandestine contacts between
the rebel organization and South Africa after the signing of the Nkomati
Accord. The bureau remained open to process reports on the highlights
of the conference and filed the text the following day.
5. On the 29th, the bureau received a "SAPA PR Wire Service" item
on the normal SAPA wire, which was a press release from the office of
Zulu Chief Buthelezi. According to SAPA, the PR wire service is modeled
after a similar organization in the U.S. and provides subscribers, now
approximately 50, with an opportunity to send unedited press releases
straight to South African and other media for a fee. The bureau is
filing the releases on merit with identifying data in a subslug.
B. Communications
1. The bureau has been receiving numerous refile requests from
the Wire and Daily Report. With the assistance of Headquarters commo
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C. Technical
1. MOD cruise visited the bureau 20 September -
7 October for a reception survey of bureau targets using the new remote
site. He systematically checked monitored stations comparing remote site
reception with the antennas located at the bureau, which are now used
for backstop, and found that in almost all cases the remote site reception
was better, even if not always satisfactory. Angola radio, which is
often poorly heard, remains a problem. 0 also discussed cruising
techniques with bureau monitors.
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-3-
A. Personnel
1. Teletypists :::]were promoted
to FBN-5 and local technicia was promoted to FBN-7,
effective 15 September.
2. Teletypist began working 9 September on a
contract basis pending security and medical clearances which will
enable the bureau to hire her full time.
3. Deputy chief
three weeks' R&R in Europe.
(returned 15 September from
arrived PCS 23 September. She replaces
who departs sober.
B. Buildings and Grounds
A surge protection device was wired into the 120VAC system at the
remote site to protect against lightning strikes and to keep the bureau
engineer from having to manually reset the breakers after each power
outage, thereby reducing the number of trips he must make to the site.
Now that the rainy season has started, power outages are becoming more
frequent. A 3.5 kw portable Salister diesel generator has been pur-
chased for use at the remote site and will be installed as soon as a
small building to house it can be constructed.
A new console/desk has been built for the administrative assistant's
area, where one of the bureau's two IBM PC's will be located. Work has
begun on the shop to expand the limited storage area;and work was also
started on the editor's house to reconstruct the roof and undertake other
needed repairs.
An Isuzu 16-passenger bus was purchased to replace the Toyota
Hiace, which has been transferred to the embassy for sale by auction.
18-22 September.
Deputy Chief Operations Group, visited the bureau
ie wazi an ureau
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SWAZILAND BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 1985
I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH : 440,110
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH 16,240
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH : 1,018
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(minutes or issues per week)
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
5,605 8,040 95
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES: 200,370 160,670 79,070
(publishable words per month)
Luanda Domestic Service in
Portuguese
Luanda ANGOP in English
Luanda ANGOP in French
Luanda ANGOP in Spanish
Gaborone Domestic Service in
English
Gaborone BOTSWANA DAILY NEWS in
English
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
English to Zimbabwe
(Clandestine) Radio Truth in
Ndebele to Zimbabwe
(Clandestine) Voice of Resistance
of the Black Cockerel in
Portuguese to Angola
(Clandestine) KUP in
Portuguese to Southern & Central Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in
English to Southern & Central Africa
(Clandestine) KUP in
French to Southern & Central,4frica
(Clandestine) Voice of Truth in-
Portuguese to Angola
Maseru Domestic Service in
English
Maseru Domestic Service in
seSotho
37,870
3,860
3,380
1,040
6,430
750
2,350
1,520
1,080
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LESOTHO
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Maseru THE NATION in
English
Maseru THE COMMET in
English and
Maseru MOCHOCHONOCHO in
Sesotho
MADAGASCAR
Antananarivo Domestic Service in
French
Blantyre Domestic Service in
English
Blantyre DAILY TIMES in
English
Blantyre MALAWI NEWS in
English
550
MAURITIUS
Port Louis Domestic Service in
English
Port Louis Domestic Service in
French
MOCAMBIQUE
Maputo Domestic Service in
Portuguese
Maputo in
English to Southern Africa
Beira DIARIO DE MOCAMBIQUE in
Portuguese
Maputo NOTICIAS in
Portuguese
Maputo TEMPO in Portuguese
14,640
4,990
Windhoek Domestic Service in
Afrikaans
Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in
Afrikaans
Windhoek THE WINDHOEK ADVERTISER in
English
Windhoek WINDHOEK OBSERVER in
English
Windhoek DIE SUIDWESTER in
Afrikaans
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
SOUTH AFRICA
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg Domestic Service in
English
Johannesburg International Service in
English
Johannesburg Television Service in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg Television Service in
English
Umtata Capital Radio in
English
Johannesburg SAPA in
English
Durban ILANGA in
Zulu
Johannesburg BEELD in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg CITY PRESS in
English
Johannesburg O'SECULO in
Portuguese
Johannesburg RAPPORT in
Afrikaans
Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in
English
Johannesburg SOWETAN in
English
Johannesburg SUNDAY STAR in
English
Johannesburg SUNDAY TIMES in
English
Johannesburg THE CITIZEN in
English
Johannesburg THE STAR in
English
Johannesburg THE WEEKLY MAIL in
English
Pretoria DIE TRANSVALER in
Afrikaans
RSA Press Review
SWAZILAND
Mbabane Domestic Service in
English
Mbabane Domestic Service in
Siswati
Mbabane Television Service in
English
Mbabane Television Service in
Siswati
Mbabane THE SWAZI NEWS in
English
Mbabane THE SWAZI OBSERVER in
English
Mbabane THE TIMES OF SWAZILAND in
English
1,470
32,890
7,680
16,550
24,390
13,420
154,970
640
840
1,400
4,420
4,630
63,520
290
410
1,190
840
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BROI PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
UNITED KINGDOM
London BBC World Service in
English
USSR
Moscow in
Ndebele to Zimbabwe
Moscow in
Zulu to Southern Africa
14,260
3,900
ZAMBIA
Lusaka Domestic Service in
English
Lusaka Voice of Namibia in
English
Lusaka Voice of Freedom in
English to Southern Africa
Lusaka SUNDAY TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
Lusaka TIMES OF ZAMBIA in
English
Lusaka ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL in
English
ZIMBABWE
Harare Domestic Service in
English
Harare Domestic Service in
Ndebele
Harare Voice of Namibia in
English
Harare THE HERALD in
English
Harare THE SUNDAY MAIL in
English
Harare THE FINANCIAL GAZETTE in
English
1,460
470
710
6,140
1,820
2,490
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