18 September 2007: Moves Afoot to Rejuvenate South African Army

Louis Oelofse, Sapa, Pretoria, Sep 6: Efforts to rejuvenate the South African Army will see 3000 new recruits being taken in next year, with the figure shooting up to 7000 in 2009, it was announced on Thursday. "We need a young and fit group of soldiers," army chief General Solly Shoke told reporters in Pretoria. Shoke said the army would also be focusing more on getting the "right people". "We are not going to recruit people that see this merely as an employment opportunity, but take those who see it as a calling," he said. The army, which makes up the majority of defence-force deployments in peacekeeping operations, is already over-stretched. It foresees that it will increasingly be used in non-military and peacekeeping operations. This means more "boots on the ground". "If the task of the army is to increase, we must [get] more money and people to do it," Shoke said.

Comment

There can be little doubt that the SA Army needs to be rejuvenated if it is to meet the challenges that it faces in the execution of its mandate in Africa. Recent years have seen the increasing deployment of South African soldiers in peacekeeping operations in Africa in conditions that unquestionably do require fit and motivated young soldiers. Peace missions in Africa occur in areas characterised by extreme climatic conditions, lack of infrastructure and general underdevelopment. Deployments are up to 6 months in duration and troops have to operate in difficult terrain and face harsh weather and austere living conditions. This certainly calls for “young and fit soldiers” who are motivated to serve the cause of bringing peace to Africa. Yes the SA Army needs “the right people” to fulfil its important role in Africa and at home.

The post-1994 political compromise that led to the creation of the South African National Defence Force, was driven by two central imperatives: the need to integrate former enemies from both sides of the struggle for democracy, and the need to build an Army representative of the demographics of South Africa. Unfortunately one of the results of this politically successful compromise is that the Army has suffered the consequences of a skewed rank/age profile. Integration resulted in the bloating of the Army’s establishment with lower ranking soldiers of age, most of whom had few qualifications and little chance of ever achieving promotion. This has created a situation where only about 50% of the troops that should be deployable on operations are in fact fit to be deployed. The African military operational environment is not particularly friendly to a 35-year old private who is, for example, required to carry his or her own supplies on a three day foot patrol.

Army deployments into Africa are consistently at three times the level envisaged in defence policy as approved in the 1996 White Paper and 1998 Defence Review. The Army’s conventional reserve has dwindled due to lack of incentives, investment and training and the territorial reserve, the Commandos, has been closed down due to a misunderstanding of the fundamental function of territorial forces. The incorrect perception that the Commandos exist only for peace-time policing functions and serve only the interests of a minority white rural community resulted in the disbandment of one of the critical means of feeding the Army with the “right people”.

At the same time that the SA Army’s operational commitments have grown, its reserves have been all but destroyed and it has been at the back of the queue for equipment renewal and capital investment, with priority having been given to the Air Force and the Navy in the strategic defence acquisition process.

The SA Army, more than any other military force on our continent, has the potential to play a leading role in peacemaking and peace enforcement in Africa. If we Africans wish to determine our own future, we need to build the necessary capacity to enable us to do so. But the rejuvenation of the SA Army will not come about without major effort. Current efforts - which seem to boil down to periodic calls at press conferences for the “right people” to join the Army, the occasional newspaper advertisement, and recruitment drives at a few schools - will, at best, provide a trickle of new recruits (most of whom will be ‘job’ and not ‘career’ seekers). What is needed is for the SA Army to communicate to South Africa’s youth the true meaning of a military career and for the SA Army to create attractive career opportunities for young and adventurous people, irrespective of race and gender.

Current communication from the South African Department of Defence is poor to say the least. Our young soldiers are deployed all over Africa in peace missions and, by all accounts, are doing a great job. Yet we read only of the legal procedures against a few transgressors, while the South African political and military leadership fail to inform us of the often impressive achievements of the majority our young men and women who are serving our nation’s interests around Africa. These soldiers should be given the credit that they deserve. If the Army wishes to attract the “right people”, then far more needs to be done in order to make South African proud of its soldiers.

It is a truism that young men and women seek employment where there are attractive career opportunities. Currently the image of the SA Army is not good due to ageing equipment, under-spending on maintenance and training and the currently skewed rank and age profile. Since approving the White Paper on Defence in 1996 government has done little to meet its responsibilities towards the Army. The White Paper states that “The government will request from Parliament sufficient funds to enable the SANDF to perform its tasks effectively and efficiently”. Yet unprecedented growth in the Army’s responsibilities around Africa (and even in places like far-flung Nepal) has not been matched by adequate funding. Since 1996 the increased personnel costs of the integration-bloated SANDF together with the strategic defence acquisitions for the Air Force and Navy have eaten into the SANDF’s operating budget in a way that has particularly affected the SA Army. This has forced the Army to cut back on such essentials as general maintenance, training and recruiting. General Shoke is thus correct in stating, "If the task of the army is to increase, we must [get] more money and people to do it".

Another issue that has hampered the attractiveness of the Army as a career is the issue of affirmative action. Many reports are published in the media of white officers and other ranks who are replaced and superseded and who land up with no chance of further promotion or a meaningful career. This has had the effect that young white males are not entering the Army, thereby skewing its racial representativeness. This is unfortunate as racial equity is important for the Army to be truly representative of the people of South Africa, a fundamental requirement of any ‘national’ army.

The role of the SA Army in Africa is bound to increase as the African peace and security architecture develops and the African Standby Force becomes more of a reality. To meet these demands, the SA Army will most certainly need young, fit and highly motivated soldiers. The rejuvenation of the Army is therefore essential and needs to be supported by all.

Len le Roux, Head: Defence Sector Programme, ISS Tshwane (Pretoria)

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