Political Relations Between Mozambique and South Africa, 1975-1992: Political-Ideological Divergences, Military Aggressions and Destabilization

Abstract

The objective of this work is to analyze the political relations between Mozambique and South Africa between 1975 and 1992, in order to understand their effects on bilateral economic-commercial interaction. The development of this work was guided by the following questions: How did political relations between Mozambique and South Africa evolve during the period 1975-1992? How has the evolution of such relations affect the economic and commercial interaction between the two countries? From the point of view of technical procedures, the investigation was developed using indirect documentation and historical exploration, which made it possible to discover the dynamism of the interaction between Mozambique and South Africa in various domains, with emphasis on the economic and political spheres. The findings of this study reveal that South Africa's primary motive was to safeguard its national interests, the main of which was to preserve the Apartheid regime. As a result, South Africa resorted to direct and indirect military aggressions, leading to political and economic instability, in order to keep Mozambique in a dependent position, as a source of low-cost labour for mining companies. Conversely, Mozambique maintained a pacifist approach, recognizing its military and economic limitations, and opted for negotiations to reduce its dependence on South Africa.