Africa Hinterland
Encyclopedia
Africa Hinterland was an overland travel company set up in the UK in the early 80s to smuggle arms into South Africa
for the military struggle against the apartheid system. It was founded by exiled members of the African National Congress
and made over 40 trips into South Africa, carrying up to a ton of weapons on each trip hidden in secret compartments welded under the truck seats.
The operation was never exposed at the time, and was revealed several years after the last trip had run.
The story was told in the documentary film, "The Secret Safari" made in 2001, directed by Tom Zubrycki and produced by David Max Brown and Sally Browning.
s at the Koeberg nuclear power station
in South Africa, just a few weeks before he completed his contract there as the after-building designer. The mines were set to explode just before the facility was loaded with nuclear material, but the damage was significant. Rodney was never suspected. Under-cover and bored in London he came up with a simple, but ingenious design for an overland truck that could carry passengers and a ton of hidden weapons. ANC
leader Joe Slovo
showed the design to Mannie Brown, a businessman and ANC exile, and asked him to set up a travel company and recruit reliable drivers.
The Bedford truck was modified at a farm outside London by Rodney and Mannie's nephew and shipped to Kenya
. The tourists were flown to Mombassa from the UK. For the first few trips the tourists were mainly from Europe and America, but it soon became apparent that the most hardy travellers were from New Zealand
and Australia
, so the Hinterland team quickly began to target their publicity to areas around Earl's Court in London, where there was a high population of Australians.
The drivers were mainly recruited from the British and Dutch Communist parties and were brave young men and women who knew exactly what they were doing, and that they would have to look after the paying tourists between Kenya and South Africa, as well as collecting the weapons in Lusaka
, Zambia
and driving the load safely to a camp site near Johannesburg
or Cape Town
. The most dangerous part of their journey would begin here when the drivers would unload the steel containers of weapons out from the secret compartments in the truck and into smaller passenger vehicles. These would be driven to drop off areas where unidentified operatives of the ANC would collect and further distribute or strategically bury the weapons.
The South African military knew that weapons were leaking into the country and put spies onto all sorts of transport that was crossing the border. Africa Hinterland was no exception, and came to their special attention because it was one of a handful of tour companies that was openly breaking international travel sanctions to South Africa. Nonetheless they sent over to London an experienced Australian special forces
operative who had volunteered his services to them. He bought his ticket and travelled on the second of the Africa Hinterland trips in late 1986 or early 1987. The very young and inexperienced English driver, Stuart Round suspected he had a spy amongst his passengers and reported as much to his handlers in the ANC, but the decision was taken to continue as normal. The cover of the tourists was so complete that the South African spy reported that the Africa Hinterland operation was 'clean' and after this close shave, the trips continued almost without hitch.
Many of the weapons were used as part of the ANC military campaign against the apartheid regime, but significant caches were dug up and handed over to the new government in 1995. A closely guarded secret within the ranks of the ANC until 2001, is the fact that the Africa Hinterland operation continued to operate after Nelson Mandela
's release in February 1990, and for three years after his speech in August 1990 when he announced the cessation of the movement of men and arms into South Africa. It would have been under Mandela's command that the Africa Hinterland operation was ordered to continue and relocate in 1990 from the United Kingdom
to South Africa. The drivers, at that time from London from Amsterdam, opened an office in Johannesburg and ran trips with South African passengers paying for excursions to the Okavango
and returning via Bulawayo
, where the truck was loaded up with weapons. These trips took two weeks compared to the long haul six weeks from Kenya, and as long as the tourists could be found to fill the truck and provide the cover the trips continued until late 1993 when it was clear that elections would actually happen and the fighting between different factions was dying down.
Very few leaders in the ANC knew about the Africa Hinterland operation and the hidden weapons, but those that did know have said that it gave them some bargaining muscle during the negotiations process. Oliver Tambo and others such as Chris Hani and Mac Maharaj had also been planning Operation Vula, which ran until the early 90's and aimed to also bring weapons and personnel into South Africa.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for the military struggle against the apartheid system. It was founded by exiled members of the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
and made over 40 trips into South Africa, carrying up to a ton of weapons on each trip hidden in secret compartments welded under the truck seats.
The operation was never exposed at the time, and was revealed several years after the last trip had run.
The story was told in the documentary film, "The Secret Safari" made in 2001, directed by Tom Zubrycki and produced by David Max Brown and Sally Browning.
Background
The truck was designed by Rodney Wilkinson, who a few years earlier had planted two limpet mineLimpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
s at the Koeberg nuclear power station
Koeberg nuclear power station
Koeberg nuclear power station is the only nuclear power station in South Africa and the entire African continent. It is located 30 km north of Cape Town, near Melkbosstrand on the west coast of South Africa. Koeberg is owned and operated by the country's only national electricity supplier, Eskom...
in South Africa, just a few weeks before he completed his contract there as the after-building designer. The mines were set to explode just before the facility was loaded with nuclear material, but the damage was significant. Rodney was never suspected. Under-cover and bored in London he came up with a simple, but ingenious design for an overland truck that could carry passengers and a ton of hidden weapons. ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
leader Joe Slovo
Joe Slovo
For Joe Slovo Informal Settlement in Cape Town, see: Joe Slovo .Joe Slovo was a South African politician, long-time leader of the South African Communist Party , and leading member of the African National Congress.-Life:Slovo was born in Obeliai, Lithuania to a Jewish family who emigrated to South...
showed the design to Mannie Brown, a businessman and ANC exile, and asked him to set up a travel company and recruit reliable drivers.
The Bedford truck was modified at a farm outside London by Rodney and Mannie's nephew and shipped to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. The tourists were flown to Mombassa from the UK. For the first few trips the tourists were mainly from Europe and America, but it soon became apparent that the most hardy travellers were from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, so the Hinterland team quickly began to target their publicity to areas around Earl's Court in London, where there was a high population of Australians.
The drivers were mainly recruited from the British and Dutch Communist parties and were brave young men and women who knew exactly what they were doing, and that they would have to look after the paying tourists between Kenya and South Africa, as well as collecting the weapons in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and driving the load safely to a camp site near Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
or Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The most dangerous part of their journey would begin here when the drivers would unload the steel containers of weapons out from the secret compartments in the truck and into smaller passenger vehicles. These would be driven to drop off areas where unidentified operatives of the ANC would collect and further distribute or strategically bury the weapons.
The South African military knew that weapons were leaking into the country and put spies onto all sorts of transport that was crossing the border. Africa Hinterland was no exception, and came to their special attention because it was one of a handful of tour companies that was openly breaking international travel sanctions to South Africa. Nonetheless they sent over to London an experienced Australian special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
operative who had volunteered his services to them. He bought his ticket and travelled on the second of the Africa Hinterland trips in late 1986 or early 1987. The very young and inexperienced English driver, Stuart Round suspected he had a spy amongst his passengers and reported as much to his handlers in the ANC, but the decision was taken to continue as normal. The cover of the tourists was so complete that the South African spy reported that the Africa Hinterland operation was 'clean' and after this close shave, the trips continued almost without hitch.
Many of the weapons were used as part of the ANC military campaign against the apartheid regime, but significant caches were dug up and handed over to the new government in 1995. A closely guarded secret within the ranks of the ANC until 2001, is the fact that the Africa Hinterland operation continued to operate after Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's release in February 1990, and for three years after his speech in August 1990 when he announced the cessation of the movement of men and arms into South Africa. It would have been under Mandela's command that the Africa Hinterland operation was ordered to continue and relocate in 1990 from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to South Africa. The drivers, at that time from London from Amsterdam, opened an office in Johannesburg and ran trips with South African passengers paying for excursions to the Okavango
Okavango
Okavango may refer to:* Okavango River, in southwest Africa, which drains into the Okavango Delta* Okavango Basin, an endorheic basin that includes the Okavango River and Okavango Delta.* Okavango Region, a region of Namibia...
and returning via Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
, where the truck was loaded up with weapons. These trips took two weeks compared to the long haul six weeks from Kenya, and as long as the tourists could be found to fill the truck and provide the cover the trips continued until late 1993 when it was clear that elections would actually happen and the fighting between different factions was dying down.
Very few leaders in the ANC knew about the Africa Hinterland operation and the hidden weapons, but those that did know have said that it gave them some bargaining muscle during the negotiations process. Oliver Tambo and others such as Chris Hani and Mac Maharaj had also been planning Operation Vula, which ran until the early 90's and aimed to also bring weapons and personnel into South Africa.