Zimbabwe Will Resist a S. African Attack

Prime Minister Robert Mugabe acknowledged Sunday that South African troops are massing near the Zimbabwean border but said his government is preparing to ward off any attack.

Mugabe, just back from visits to the Soviet Union and Austria, told a news conference that the military buildup threatened late last month by Foreign Minister Roelof F. (Pik) Botha followed a series of land-mine explosions near the border in the few days before Botha spoke.

Pretoria, saying that the mines had been planted by black nationalist guerrillas who crossed over from Zimbabwe, warned the Harare government it might pursue the rebels into Zimbabwe.

“The Zimbabwean government has been informed that steps must be taken urgently to ensure no further incidents of this nature take place,” Botha said then. “Otherwise, the South African security forces will have no other choice but to follow the tracks themselves.”

Mugabe, asked about the reported massing of South African troops, said: “Yes, we were informed about that before we departed (for Moscow). The army is well aware, and to the best of its ability has taken precautions.

“We can’t just say South Africa is playing an artificial game. It is a real game (and) we must be prepared to ward off any war.”

No Complacency

Mugabe said his government takes “very seriously” South Africa’s threat to cross into Zimbabwe, adding: “We can’t sit on our laurels. In fact, South Africa has always effected its threats.”

In the past, South African forces have briefly invaded Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola and Botswana, citing attacks from guerrilla bases on the territory of those countries. In addition, South Africa has economic leverage against those “front-line” states in that it employs several million of their workers as migrant workers, principally in the mines. Without that work, already steep rates of unemployment in those states would be even higher.

Zimbabwe sent a message to Pretoria after the explosions reiterating that it had not and would not give the South African guerrillas bases in the country.

On Sunday, Mugabe said Pretoria’s threat was aimed at intimidating his government to stop diplomatic, moral and financial support to the guerrillas--mostly from the outlawed African National Congress--through the Organization of African Unity.

A military spokesman in Pretoria said he had nothing to add to the previous statements by Foreign Minister Botha and Defense Minister Magnus Malan after the mine blasts.

Malan, reacting to Zimbabwean charges that South African patrols had already violated its territory, said then: “This latest outburst of rhetoric is no more than propagandistic lies. . . . I categorically deny these allegations.”