Botha pins Namibia plan to a pullout in Angola

South African Prime Minister Pieter Botha said carrying out Western independence proposals for Namibia (South-West Africa) depends on the withdrawal of Cuban troops from neighboring Angola.

Mr. Botha, speaking at a military base here, said South Africa is ready to accept the second phase of the Western proposals and move on to the third. Unofficial estimates put the number of Cuban troops in Angola at about 18,000. Mr. Botha said elections in the South African-administered territory would be held by the end of next March, regardless of whether efforts to involve the United Nations in a peace settlement succeeded.