The formation of SANDF : integration experiences of former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei defence force members

Abstract

Before entering into a democratic dispensation, South African military and defence systems were constituted by seven disparate armed forces. The transformation of South Africa from a separatist state introduced renewed efforts and challenges to integrate what was once a divided military corps and society. In 1994, the formation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was born out of the effort to integrate various statutory and non-statutory armed forces in South Africa, including forces from former TBVC states. Through a phenomenological inquiry, integration experiences of former TBVC Armed Force members into the new SANDF structure are investigated. The study aimed to find out from the former TBVC force members how they were affected by the integration process and what their perception with regards to the effectiveness of the integration process on enhancing representation on all rank levels in the new SANDF was. The findings from in-depth semi-structured interviews with 16 such members indicate that transformation of South Africa’s military outfit into an integrated system is not exactly an epitome of a new and different yet cohesive and unified structure. The notion of ‘integration’ is as such cast as essentially a problematic one where inequalities still reflect in how former statutory and non-statutory force members are treated particularly with regards to promotion opportunities. In addition, there are perceived lingering vestiges of a previous separatist system such as the use of Afrikaans language as a medium of instruction and communication, previous SADF policies which helps produce the idea of integration as more a process of absorption instead. Despite this problematisation of integration processes in shaping how the new SANDF outfit is currently experienced by members, there are perceived benefits from the change brought about by ‘integration’ of forces. Some benefits are as tangible as individual career advancement, while others tend to reflect impacts at systemic level of family where members indirectly profit from the reorganisation and call for adjustment to new settings and structures that followed integration