An individual versus countries

Comment by Tatyana Jolivet:

This article was prepared by our intern Natasha Mnishi for the Centre of the public diplomacy. She is a student from South Africa, studying international relations at RUDN.

Indeed, there are many African students in Russia and there is nothing surprising in that.

However, one particular aspect of her decision to study in Moscow makes the whole difference. She is the daughter of the South African diplomat who started his international career back in the USSR. In spite of full breakup of geopolitical map and change of vectors of country's political development, her father advised his daughter Natasha to study in Russia. His life is a kind of retrospective of relations between two countries – USSR/Russia and South Africa. One country has gone, another one changed its development direction. But people stay. Relations, including international ones, are being set up not only by faceless institutions after all, but also by certain individuals. It is remarkable that Natasha’s father has been keeping warm attitude towards our country. It is remarkable that Natasha has been following her international father’s steps and makes her contribution into building up trustful relations between our countries. So far without speaking Russian language, though.

We wish Natasha success in her endeavours and hope that there will be next generations of Sergey or Masha from the South Africa, similarly inheriting warm memories of their predecessors about their stay in Russia.

International Lenin School – now the Financial University

South Africa and the Russian Federation have strong historical links which can be traced back to 1963 when direct contacts between the former USSR and the African National Congress (ANC) were established on a regular basis. Current diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of South Africa (RSA) were officially established on 28 February, 1992. The Russian Embassy in RSA is located in Pretoria, Russian Consulate General – in Cape Town.

The USSR was a key supporter of the struggle for liberation in the Apartheid South Africa. The USSR provided great assistance to the ANC most notably in the areas of military training, and providing weaponry thus relations between the two countries have remained warm and have spread to other areas.

In December 1961, the Soviets decided to re-establish the International Lenin School as a permanent facility to train people from other countries. More than 60 parties were invited to send students to the new school in 1962. In December of the same year discussions were held of the draft plan of Operation Mayibuye, which called for the training of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadres on African soil and by 1963 a camp was set up in Tanzania. Moscow also assisted the ANC through the mediation of the SACP as well as financial support (via the SACP), which was allocated $50,000 in 1961, and $112,445 in 1962. Much of this money was sent to lawyers representing ANC people on trial and was used to help with their families and legal costs.

In summer of 1963, two groups of 20 cadres arrived in Moscow to begin studies at the Northern Training Centre. The recruits underwent training in guerrilla warfare, military strategy and tactics, topography, drilling and the use of firearms. Following the June 1976 Soweto Uprising thousands of students left the country and joined the ANC and MK. By the end of July, some 400 new recruits were living in ANC camps in Luanda. The ANC sent groups of these students to the USSR and, between 1976 and 1978, 140 new recruits were trained there. By 1986 there was an intake of 60 South Africans every year.

During the 1980s the struggle against apartheid began to look like a war that could be won. MK’s attacks on South African installations were evidence that the years of training were beginning to have real weakening effects on the power structure. One of the most successful MK operations was the bombing of the Sasol plant on 1 June 1980. The attack stopped the operation of the plant, sending shudders through the apartheid regime. Soviet training used to directly confront the apartheid army on its own territory and in the latter half of the 80s MK cadres began training for taking positions in the regular army. In 1986 ANC members began a three-year course for motorized infantry officers in Perevalnoye, and the next year many were to embark on five-year courses to become helicopter and jet pilots, flight engineers or naval officers.

Mr. Samuel K Mnisi is a Political Counselor of regional diplomacy currently stationed at the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Moscow. He is also one of the cadres who participated in the training programs in the USSR in the year 1979. He spoke to us about his experience as a cadre and relations between the two countries.

- Could you kindly tell us more about what you do?

S: “As a political counselor of regional diplomacy I monitor and manage relations between South Africa and the region of former republics of the Soviet Union also referred to as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

- What is your opinion on the relations between South Africa and Russia?

S: “You should’ve asked me about relations between South Africa and the CIS because that is my department. Russia and South Africa have a healthy relationship which is characterized by mutual interests and common political and economic objectives. We support each other at a number of multilateral forums such as the United Nations, UNESCO, G20 and most importantly BRICS. We also have bilateral relations which are held under the auspices of ITEC (Inter-governmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation).

- What is your take on the influence of relations between the USSR and the ANC on current relations?

S: We had very strong relations with the former Soviet Union as well as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. They were the foremost supporter to the liberation struggle. However, the relationship with the Russian Federation took a serious knock when they established formal relations with the apartheid government in 1992. Of course, much has been done to mend relations since then but there are some discomforts.

- When did you first come to Russia, and what was the nature of your visit?

S: I first came to Moscow on the 30^th April 1978 for the duration of 11 months. We came for military training in Moscow, there were nine of us and we stayed in apartment. Coincidently I again arrived on the 30^th of April 2019 to begin my deployment. I’ve also been here on two other separate occasions over the years, in 1997 for a 3 month course under the auspices of military intelligence GRU and again in 2009 under the FSB.

- How would you describe your stay/experience then?

S: It was very illuminating and relaxed, and more transparent. Unlike other countries where we were kept covert. For example, in Germany, we could not roam the streets, we’d move from the place of accommodation to the training field and back. We moved covertly and with little transparency. In Moscow we enjoyed much more freedom and transparency without necessarily letting on to people who we were and our purpose. My training in Russia laid a solid foundation for my subsequent training and career.

- Does the Russian Federation still host similar military training programs?

S: Yes, they do the led by Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).

- How is your experience in Russia now and how would you compare it with then?

S: the lifestyle and economic exposure of the people has drastically changed from what it was in the 70’s. Politically there is transparency, there is freedom of expression, and there is freedom of association. The economic exposure has been broadened as compared to previously when everything was centralized. However, when it comes to cooperation between the two countries (more specifically with the ANC, the Soviet Union was more open; the training we received was qualitatively far better than what is being offered now and the content was massive.

- Why do you think the standard of the cooperation and training has declined?

S: It goes back to the issue of skepticism. When we view them with skepticism they view us in the same light. That maybe if they open up too much, we could use it against them or share with their enemies. That is my personal opinion, not official.

- Is there a way that the strong ties could be restored?

S: The best way would be to first improve the political trust. Once that has been restored, the rest will follow.

- On a more personal note, how does it feel being back in Russia 41 years later, essentially where your career began?

S: It is comforting to end a career in a country which molded you, built you. A country which gave you a solid foundation when you started a career as a liberator, a soldier and an intelligence officer. Secondly, I feel gratified that I got to introduce my off springs to where actually life started.

Natasha Mnishi, intern for the Centre of the public diplomacy