Question

What was south africa's role in the conflicts that plagued its neighbors from the 1960s to the 1990s

Answer 1

They supported rebels against pro-communists government such as those of Angola and Mozambique.
During the Cold War, South Africa apartheid regime and  its ally the U.S. saw new African nations as threats because some liberation leaders had ties with the communist regimes. South Africa aided a rebel group fighting the government of Angola. Later, South Africa supported a rebel group in Mozambique. The war ravaged the nation for several decades.