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Operation Skerwe
Operation Skerwe
Operation Skerwe was a military operation conducted by the South African Air Force (SAAF) during the Mozambican
Civil War against African National Congress (ANC) facilities based in the Maputo suburb of Matola.
16.1 Background
On the 20 May 1984, a car bomb exploded in the late afternoon in Church Street, Pretoria. The target was the South
African Air Force Headquarters timed to catch the staff leaving the building for home.[1]:Chp8 The bomb had been
set by the ANC based in Mozambique.[2] The car bomb killed 19 and wounded between 188 and more than 200
people.[2][3]
16.2 Operation
Planning for the operation begun on 21 May, a day after the bombing when Commandant Steyn Venter was directed
to take four Impala strike aircraft with rocket pods to the airbase at Hoedspruit.[1]:Chp8 There he was joined by eight
other Impala’s from 4 Squadron and 8 Squadron.[1]:Chp8 One Canberra bomber, from the Waterkloof airbase flown
by Major Des Barker, would also take part in the operation.[1]:Chp8 As the aircrew planned their mission based on
reconnaissance photographs, video and models of the targets, ground crews readied the aircraft for the mission the
following day.[1]:Chp8[4] The planned called for a low level approach down the river into Maputo then climbing for the
attack on the street in Matola in pairs, in line astern positions, attack only if the targets were visible, before climbing
left and the returning to a low level formation back to South Africa.[1]:Chp8 The mission for Sunday 22 May, after
initial issues with the aircraft and low cloud, was called off after taxing to the runway.[1]:Chp8 On Monday 23 May, the
aircraft took off at 06h40 for Maputo. The Canberra bomber contacted the Maputo control tower informing them
of the raid and not to interfere.[1]:Chp8[4] The Impala strike aircraft then lined up for the attack with most firing their
rockets at the target houses in the street.[1]:Chp8 The South African Impala aircraft arrived back safely at the airbase
at Hoedspruit with little fuel to spare while the Canberra bomber returned to Waterkloof outside Pretoria.[1]:Chp8
16.3 Aftermath
The casualty figures are conflicting with the Mozambique government claiming that 6 people died including 2 chil-
dren and 26 people wounded. The South African military claiming 64 people killed, 41 being ANC operatives, 17
Mozambican soldiers and 6 civilians while other sources claimed 8 civilians died.[5][1]:Chp8
Western diplomats and journalists were given a three hour guided tour of Matola by the Mozambican Information
Ministry officials.[5] They were shown minimal rocket damage to building’s and a juice and jam factory with little to
show that the ANC lived in the street with residents claiming the ANC residents had moved out three months earlier.[5]
The South African military claimed that the site had been sanitized before the visit and that they had attacked the
planning offices of the ANC unit responsible for the Pretoria bombings.[1]:Chp8 The South Africans also claimed they
had neutralized an antiaircraft missile site.[2]
16.4. REFERENCES
[1] Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledging to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War. Solihull, England: Helion
& Company. ISBN 9781908916624.
[2] “South Africa jets bomb Mozambique”. New York Times. 23 May 1983. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
[3] “ANC Mastermind Campaign justifies Pretoria Church Street blast”. South African Press Association. 6 May 1998.
Retrieved 29 September 2014.
[4] Lelyveld, Joseph (23 May 1983). “South Africa Jets Raid Mozambique in reply to Rebels”. New York Times. Retrieved
29 September 2014.
[5] Cowell, Alan (25 May 1983). “Damage in Mozambique raid looks surprisingly light”. New York Times. Retrieved 29
September 2014.
16.5 Further reading
• Lord, Dick (2012). From Fledging to Eagle. The South African Airforce during the Border War(e-book).
Solihull, England: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781908916624.