South Africa was one of the few countries to provide support for Rhodesia following the white minority government's Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965.
[1][2] Ahead of the transition to black majority rule in what was to become Zimbabwe, the SADF initiated a program to recruit mainly white members of the Rhodesian counter-insurgency units that was designated Operation Winter.
[3] Loots travelled to Rhodesia shortly before the transition to recruit Rhodesian special forces and intelligence personnel.
[4] There have been allegations that the British and United States governments provided support for Operation Winter, and American transport aircraft may have carried Rhodesian personnel to South Africa.
[9] Former members of the Rhodesian Selous Scouts made up most of the initial personnel for the South West African Police's Koevoet counter-insurgency unit, and it used similar brutal tactics.