Wk
FRELIMO'S  ADVANCE
WORRIES  THE   RACISTS
Cuttings from the S. African and Rodhesian Press
( I rom thc R. «Financial Gazette», Sept. 17, 1971  )
SALISBURY—The Rhodesian authorities are understood
to be growing increasingly concerned over the security
situation in the north-east of the country in view of the
mounting activity of Frelimo terrorists in Mozambique.
the capabilities of the Frelimo
terrorists — who are much better trained and organised than
the terrorists who have crossed
from Zambia.
While no major threat to Rhodesia's security is foreseen,
there are fears that some side-
effects of the Frelimo push on
the Cabora Bassa area may be
felt in this country.
Security sources in Salisbury
are concerned that the Portuguese may be under-estimating
Suddenly   a    mine-warning.    Soon   after   thi
picture was taken five men were killed by ar\
explosion.
The 'Sunday Times',
Johanesburg, August 8, 1971
FXTRACTS 1 ROM
THE   SUNDAY TIMFS' REPORT
For ten years, Frelimo, thc
errorist organisation, and the
Portuguese Army have been
>attling  it  out.
In places. Frelimo is the
victor. In places it is in effective control Ft collects taxes
from the villagers and the
farmers
A much greater area is con-
rolled by the Portuguese.
It is perfect country for guerrillas.
I learnt quickly iust how
perfect.
On the way to Mueua, e military base only 70 kilometres
from the Tanzanian border our
plane came under Frelimo
ground fire.
One soldier was sick with th*-
tension.
The plane was undamaged
But on landing, the streakv
of lead on the fuselage were
Dlain to see.
The danger of the bush was
emphasised throughout our
stay in Muedj Not one day
passed without the arrival of
a helicopter bringing in
woundec   soldiers.
Salisbury, Friday.
THE PORTUGUESE Army Commander-in-Chief, ^en.
kaulza de Arriaga. vUited the Tete area of Mozambique
t «|ax and addressed «oldiers and civilians as reports filtered
in tti fajifltarv of new landmine explosions on the main
road   to   Malawi   through  Mozambique.
A traveller said he saw a
car and a truck blown to pieces
on Wednesday and was told
that three Portuguese men in
the car had died.
The wrecks were a few miles
from where a pantechnicon and
another car were blown up on
an 89km terror stretch south of
the Malawi border, he said.
The Chronicle's Africa News
Service reports that a lorry
driver from Tete was killed
when his vehicle was blown up
on Wednesday.
In one of the earlier explosions an Asian from Salisbury, Mr. Akrub Habib "Kay"
Khan, was killed.
Portuguese troops are escorting all traffic north of Changara
following ambushes on three
consecutive days.
Three Portuguese soldiers
died   in   one   of  these  attacks.
A railway bridge about 4km
from Tete on the main supply
route   from   Beira   to   Cabora
Bassa was blown up early on
Tuesday, cutting the line for
at least 10 days.
Medical sources say Portuguese casualties from ambushes,
shrapnel and incendiary mines
have increased in the past few
months.
An unconfirmed report says
22 soldiers died between August
20 and September 3, well above
the  usual  average.
On Thursday, Mr. Khan
stopped at Changara on his way
south and saw a row of Portuguese jeeps riddled with bullet
holes.
He was told that terrorists
were ambushing vehicles between Changara and Tete, and
also that a landmine had blown
up a low loader on the Cabora
Bassa road.
A Portuguese soldier is in
Salisbury Central Hospital with
shrapnel in his skull as a result
of a landmine explosion in
Mozambique.
But indications of the mounting Frelimo activity in the area
has been highlighted by the fact
that they have started laying
mines on the Mozambique section of the Rhodesia-Malawi
road.
One man was killed this week
when his car struck a mine, and
severe damage was done to a
pantechnicon which hit another
mine.
This week the Rhodesian government issued a warning to
motorists that in view of these
incidents the road "must presently be regarded as unsafe".
People travelling north of the
Rhodesian control post at Nyam-
panda to Mozambique or Malawi
are being warned that they do
so at their own risk.
Portuguese army patrols are
escorting vehicles in convoys
from the border to both Blantyre
and Cabora Bassa.
Security sources say terrorists
have made several attacks on
convoys travelling to the Cabora
Bassa area.
• Concern was expressed by
some Rhodesian businessmen
after a radio news item reported
that the Mozambique Governor-
General's office had ordered
strict control over currency dealings and placed a total ban on
the export of banknotes, cheques,
bonds and other assets from the
country.
It was feared the Mozambique
authorities might have introduced the regulations to avert
any exodus of funds by businessmen alarmed over the security
situation.
Banking sources in Beira, however, discounted these suggestions. The edict, they said, was
merely a "reminder" of regulations which had been introduced
in 1967.
THE CHRONICLE, Sept. 18,1971