RHODESIA: GOVERNMENT TIGHTENS BORDER SECURITY STILL FURTHER FOLLOWING INTENSIFIED GUERILLA ACTIVITY.

Record ID: 647635

  • Title: RHODESIA: GOVERNMENT TIGHTENS BORDER SECURITY STILL FURTHER FOLLOWING INTENSIFIED GUERILLA ACTIVITY.
  • Date: 26th May 1976
  • Summary: 1. GV PAN across border village 0.10 2. SV trucks along border road 0.21 3. CU landmine hole in road 0.27 4. SV PAN ACROSS tea plantation with Africans picking crop (3 shots) 0.45 5. SV entrance to plantation 0.50 6. SV PAN farmer inspecting tractor and walking across to another tractor 1.05 7. TGV farm building PULL FOCUS to barbed wire 1.12 8. SV GV Farmer Davis' house 1.14 9. SV Mr. and Mrs. Davis 1.17 10. SV Mr. Davis speaks to reporter 1.30 11. GV PAN ACROSS farmland 1.38 12. SV security forces on patrol (2 shots) 1.46 13. SV patrol vehicles along border road 2.02 14. SV mine-proofed vehicle through streets 2.13 15. SV security forces on guard as women leave army building (2 shots) 2.29 16. SV serviceman's wife speaking to reporter 2.56 REPORTER: "You don't feel at all vulnerable then, sitting here so close to the Mozambique border?" DAVIS: "No, not at all, not at all. Because we have security forces here and I think they're capable of er, looking after us". REPORTER: "Do you feel reassured about your husband's safety?" WOMAN: "Yes, I do, yes". REPORTER: "What's it like having a husband who's fighting a war?" WOMAN: "Well, it upsets everybody and our family life is disrupted. But we have to make the best of it. We're willing to do anything to make our country win this war". Initials RH/1745 PHILIP HAYTON (B.B.C.) Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 10th June 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RHODESIA
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Reuters ID: LVAP4GJVR1I4F0PUI1G2DGE7LX7
  • Story Text: Rhodesia has tightened security still further along its border with Mozambique, following intensified nationalist guerilla action in the region. A white farmer and his son were killed on Saturday (22 May) and the white occupants of two were slightly injured when guerilla opened fire on them.

    Night journeys have been banned on the main roads to South Africa. The security forces have also introduced a convoy system under armed escort for travellers on the two main roads which lead south to the Beit Bridge frontier crossing.

    Raiders have also again attacked one of Rhodesia's two strategic rail links to South Africa - the one which passes through Botswana. A diesel locomotive was damaged but no-one was injured. It was the second attack in recent weeks on the line, which is vitally important to the Rhodesian economy.

    Another recent guerilla attack failed in the sensitive eastern area along the Mozambique border when a mine was found before it could explode.

    The area's sensitivity is illustrated by one farmer, John Davis. He and his wife go to the eastern Manica Province capital of Umtali every weekend to visit their children at boarding school and have to arrange a police escort every time they leave their estate. But Mr. Davis has said they don't feel at all vulnerable, and have complete faith in the security forces.

    The forces are concentrated along the border with mozambique and have their regional headquarters in Umtali. Twenty thousand reserves are now liable to indefinite call-up. Their wives and families are eager for news of their relations in the army but get little information from Rhodesia's press.

    So military briefings are held to last reservists' wives know how the war is going. Some of the women attending such meetings said they had been reassured of their husbands' safety. Family life was disrupted, but they were willing to accept that if it would help "our country win this war".

    This film is serviced with an interview with Mr. Davis and one woman attending a military briefing. A full transcript appears overleaf.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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