South Africa -incapable of fighting a convention war on fronts -began in the late 1970s. after P.W. Botha's election. to devise other ways of obtaining its regional goals. The result can be labelled low intensity or proxy warfare, or, in other words, destabilization. The situation in southern Africa fits the deftnition of destabilization put forward by Bjom Heme in Developmmt Md Peace in the Spring of 1985: destabilization is all kinds of efforts on the part of a powerful actor, short of open warfare and invasion, to weaken and eliminate another actor that for ideological, military-strategic, economic and political reasons is unacceptable, even if not constituting a real direct threat in any other way than providing a dangerous example or model that could be followed by others. This definition includes clandestine and indirect military activities, as well as activities in the economic, political and cultural field.