Editing Selous Scouts (section)

===Establishment===
The [[British South Africa Police|British South Africa Police's]] Special Branch began pseudo operations to collect intelligence in 1966. The Rhodesian Army took part in a joint trial using these tactics with the British South Africa Police and Special Branch that year, but it was not successful for at that stage the black population was largely indifferent to the insurgents and so not able to provide intelligence on them.{{sfn|Cilliers|1985|p=120}}

The ZANLA began to gain control over north-eastern Rhodesia from 1971, and considerably strengthened its influence over the population in the region over the next year. This led to the networks of informers who had provided information to the Rhodesian Government ceasing to do so, which made it difficult for the security forces to locate and counter the insurgents. In response, Special Branch began to establish pseudo teams in January 1973. The Rhodesian Army also formed two such teams in February; these comprised members of [[Rhodesian Special Air Service|C Squadron 22 (Rhodesian) SAS]], black soldiers from the [[Rhodesian African Rifles]] and former insurgents.{{sfn|Cilliers|1985|p=121}} These teams enjoyed success, leading to a decision to expand pseudo operations.{{sfn|Cilliers|1985|p=123}}

Major [[Ronald Francis Reid-Daly]] was selected to command the unit that became the Selous Scouts in November 1973. He was personally selected for this role by Lieutenant General [[Peter Walls]], the head of the Rhodesian Army. An initial group of 25 personnel were selected and trained at [[Makuti]] near [[Lake Kariba]]. The first [[troop]] completed training and began operations in January 1974, followed by two other troops in February and March that year.{{sfn|Cilliers|1985|p=123}} At this time, the Selous Scouts comprised about 120 personnel and all of its officers were white. Black soldiers were offered bonuses that almost doubled their salary if they agreed to serve with the Selous Scouts.{{sfn|Cline|2005|p=10}}

The unit was named after the British explorer [[Frederick Selous]] (1851–1917) and its motto was ''pamwe chete''—a [[Shona language|Shona]] phrase meaning "all together", "together only" or "forward together". The charter of the Selous Scouts directed them to "the clandestine elimination of terrorism both within and without the country".{{sfn|Melson|2005|pp=57–82}} The name Selous Scouts had previously been attached to the [[Rhodesian Armoured Corps|Rhodesian Armoured Car Regiment]] of the [[Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland#Military|Federal Army of Rhodesia and Nyasaland]].<ref>[http://www.rhodesia.nl/ceremonialparade.pdf Ceremonial Farewell Parade 8 December 1963, pg. 12]</ref>

The [[South African Police|South African Police's]] Special Branch provided funding for the Selous Scouts. This formed part of the South African Government's extensive support for the Rhodesian counterinsurgency effort.{{sfn|O'Brien|2001|p=40}} Many [[South African Defence Force]] personnel served in the Selous Scouts between 1973 and 1979, including during operations in Rhodesia, Mozambique and Zambia. After the South African Government publicly withdrew the South African Police units which had been deployed to Rhodesia in 1975 SADF personnel continued to serve with the Selous Scouts.{{sfn|Purkitt|Burgess|2005|p=90}} A witness who testified at the post-Apartheid South African [[Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa)|Truth and Reconciliation Commission]] stated that the Selous Scouts were covertly funded by the South African Police and South African police officers also served in the unit.{{sfn|Truth and Reconciliation Commission|1998|p=86}}