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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Transformation of the South African Military
Author:Kynoch, GaryISNI
Year:1996
Periodical:Journal of Modern African Studies
Volume:34
Issue:3
Period:September
Pages:441-457
Language:English
Geographic term:South Africa
Subjects:civil-military relations
armed forces
Military, Defense and Arms
Politics and Government
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/161380
Abstract:With the South African withdrawal from Angola, Namibian independence, F.W. De Klerk's 'downsizing' of the armed forces, and definite moves towards the first inclusive elections in South Africa's history, it seemed that the military's influence in politics would diminish. The military elite reached an agreement with the ANC to incorporate the armed forces of the liberation movements and the homelands to form the new South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Although the SANDF has been promoted as a model for national reform and reconciliation, an examination of recent developments suggests that no significant 'transformation' has yet occurred, and that the ostensibly more enlightened and progressive SANDF differs very little from the old SADF (South African Defence Force). It adheres rigidly to political realism, supports the expansion of a massive defence industry and international arms trade, and manages to retain a budget grossly out of proportion with the legitimate security needs of the country. Given these factors, it is difficult to see how the SANDF will make a positive contribution to the nation's Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Notes, ref.
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