Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

GETTING THE MILITARY INTO PROPER SHAPE Few SA institutions have had to face up to as many transformational challenges as the military. The need was apparent as far back as 1990 and escalated in real and symbolic terms after the first democratic election of 1994.

The various armed formations had to be amalgamated with demonstrable political neutrality - and without bloodshed. Thereafter, the focus shifted to defining a new strategic role for the SANDF and inculcating a national military culture. New weapons were needed, former enemies reconciled, racial and ideological sensitivities addressed. Crucially, discipline had to be maintained. All this against a shrinking defence budget.

Something had to give, and it was recruitment, which has been largely on hold for more than a decade. The result is that parts of the force are old, unhealthy, and unbalanced in terms of skills and race. With no new soldiers coming into the regular force and few leaving, the reserves are in dire straits.

But as we make clear this week (see page 29), the military planners have devised excellent proposals to rejuvenate the SANDF. The assumption, correctly, is that our military capability should be based on a small professional core with a large reserve force that can be kept trained and ready should the need arise. A citizen-reserve military is much cheaper than a standing army, and more likely to preserve political stability.

A key proposal is that from an annual intake of about 10000, about 20% would remain in the military as career soldiers. The rest - disciplined, trained, experienced - would be released back into the economy after two years, with an annual obligation of up to 30 days' reserve force service.

The SANDF has planned well. But it is also time for business to play its part through increased co-operation in terms of realising training needs, and sympathetic treatment of employees who wish to make a part-time military commitment. In this, business could play a pivotal role in creating a military force tailored to the real needs of the country.