Remembering June 14, 1985 Gaborone raid

DITSHWANELO wishes to recall the anti-apartheid struggle and the role which Botswana and the region played in the liberation of South Africa. During the time of the raid, relations between Botswana and South Africa were strained because anti-apartheid groups like the African National Congress (ANC) had sought refuge in Botswana.

‘The raid on Gaborone’ (called Operation Plecksy) by the apartheid South African Defence Force (SADF) occurred under the order of General Constand Viljoen. South African soldiers crossed the border into Botswana around 1.30 a.m. on June 14 1985, to lead the attack on what was believed to be the cadres and offices of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the (ANC) and private homes, based in Gaborone.