[1] Operation Marion became an important element of the apartheid government's response to the rising popular insurgency led by the United Democratic Front and the Congress of South African Trade Unions during the 1980s.

The first group of Zulu militia from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) were dispatched to the Caprivi Strip from Durban by C-130 aircraft on 16 April 1986.

[2] In January 1988 IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi again approached Chief of Staff Intelligence asking for additional training of his militia in order to swing the balance of power against the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) forces, then operating as a surrogate for the African National Congress (ANC) in areas of KwaZulu.

One of the most high-impact activities allegedly arising from Operation Marion was the Boipatong massacre by IFP members, which left 43 dead on 17 June 1992.

[4] This event became a turning point for the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) when Nelson Mandela withdrew the ANC over claims of police involvement.