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Operation Safraan
Operation Safraan
Operation Safraan was a series of South African Defence Force raids from the Caprivi Strip area during the South
African Border War. On August 23,1978 PLAN and the Zambian army shelled the small South African garrison town
Katimo Mulilo in eastern Caprivi (Namibia). In March 1979, South African forces entered south-western Zambia
attacking PLAN bases in retaliation for the shelling of Katimo Mulilo.[1]:86 These bases were around Sinjembele and
the Njinje forest, [2]:Chpt4 were found to have been vacated but the facilities were destroyed disrupting future border
infiltrations.[1]:86 The raid into Zambia resulted in SWAPO being asked to leave the country.[2]:Chpt4 Conducted on 7
March 1979 concurrently with Operation Rekstok; it followed Operation Reindeer and preceded Operation Sceptic.
The name means “saffron” in Afrikaans.
8.1 Further reading
• Steenkamp, Willem (1989). South Africa’s border war, 1966-1989. Gibraltar: Ashanti Pub. ISBN 0620139676.
• Hamann, Hilton (2001). Days of the generals (1st ed. Ed.). Cape Town: Zebra. ISBN 978-1868723409.
• Nothling, CD (Col.). Kort Kroniek van Militêre Operasies en Optredes in Suidwes-Afrika en Angola (1914-
1988). Scientia Militaria, South African Journal of Military Studies, Vol 19, Nr 2, 1989.
8.2 References
[1] Steenkamp, Willem (1989). South Africa’s border war, 1966-1989. Gibraltar: Ashanti Pub. ISBN 0620139676.
[2] Hamann, Hilton (2007). Days Of The Generals: The Untold Story of South Africas Apartheid-era Military Generals. Struik
Publishers. ISBN 1868723402.
8.3 See also
• Angolan Civil War