Civil–Military Relations and the Emergence of a Civil–Military Gap in South Africa

Abstract

For almost three decades prior to the end of Cold War, South Africa's defence policy was focused on combating a “so-called” total onslaught on the country. This found the former South African Defence Force (SADF) deployed extensively in neighbouring states to counter an enemy invasion and internally, in support of the police to suppress the rising tide of black resistance against the state's Apartheid policies. With the collapse of communism and the unbanning of the African National Congress (ANC) and South African Communist Party in 1990, the country would witness a fundamental reform of its armed forces, their role and purpose, civil control of the armed forces and in civil–military relations (Nathan, 1994).

Citation

Heinecken, L. (2007), "Civil–Military Relations and the Emergence of a Civil–Military Gap in South Africa", Caforio, G. (Ed.) Cultural Differences between the Military and Parent Society in Democratic Countries (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 293-300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1572-8323(07)04019-2