The Government of National Unity's Reconstruction and Development
Programme (RDP) states that the Defence Force, the Police and
Intelligence Service are there to uphold the democratic Constitution.
They must be non-partisan and bound by clear codes of conduct.
The RDP stipulates that the size, character and doctrines of the
Defence Force must be appropriate to a country engaged in a major
programme of socio-economic reconstruction and development.
Representiveness, gender and human rights sensitivity should be
considered in the transformation of the Police Service. National
standards and training must be combined with Community based structures
to ensure answerability to the communities served.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) came into being on 27 April 1994. The process of integrating the former South African Defence Force (SADF) with the military wings of the African National Congress (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the armies of the former homelands into one force started on 16 May 1994 and will be completed by 31 March 1998.
The 1993 Constitution stipulates that the SANDF will be used to depend the country against external and internal threats. The function of the SANDF is service in defence of South Africa in time of war and in fulfillment of the country's treaty obligations. Military service is also performed to prevent or suppress internal disorder, preserve life, health and property, and to maintain essential services.
The SANDF consists of four arms - the Army, Air Force, Navy and Medical Service - supplemented by three support services, the Chaplain General, the Inspector General and the Communication Service.
In terms of human resources, the Army comprises a full-time and a part-time force. The former is made up of a relatively small nucleus, the Permanent Force, while the latter, which constitutes the bulk of the Army's striking power, consists of the Citizen Force, the Commandos and volunteers. The aim of the Army is to neutralise any military threat against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of South Africa.
The South African Air Force (SAAF) comprises Air Force Headquarters, Air Logistics Command, Training Command and various operational air force bases containing fighter, helicopter, transport and other squadrons, as well as flying and other training units. The aim of the SAAF is to assist in ensuring the national security of south Africa by means of Air Force operations. Its primary function is to gain and maintain a favourable air situation.
The Navy is responsible for providing seaward military services. The main functions of these services are maritime operations, assistance operations to other government departments and a hydrographic service. The Navy is well placed to facilitate international maritime co-operation through joint exercises, search and rescue operations, and formal alliances.
The South African Medical Service (SAMS) provides the SANDF with the necessary, professional medical and related services. Extensive medical aid is also given to all Permanent Force members and their dependants, serving Citizen Force and Commando members. It is also geared to provide a large variety of emergency medical and related services to the South African public in the event of disasters.
The Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) is responsible for the acquisition of weapons and associated equipment for the South African security forces. Armscor's manufacturing arm was restructured into an economically independent industrial company group falling under the Minister of Public Enterprises and operating under the Companies Act, 1973, (Act 61 of 1973). Known as Denel, this company was formally established on 1 April 1992. Armscor acts as the agent of the State in respect of regulating the ensuring responsible participation in the international armament market and selling only to approved countries. Armscor also takes on the marketing of surplus SANDF equipment.
In terms of the 1993 Constitution, internal security is primarily the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Policing underwent a radical change in 1994 in terms of transformation and democratisation. the previous 11 police agencies (SAP and 10 former homeland agencies) entered a process of amalgamation and rationalisation to create a single South African Police which will function at national level and in the nine provinces. The transformation process will see a shift from a force to a service by means of community policing which is aimed at establishing an equal partnership between the police and the community. Members of the SAPS serve in various specialised divisions, each of which is structured to render service in a specific sector of community relations, crime combating and investigation, visible policing, support services, human resource management, and internal stability.
Three intelligence Acts passed by Parliament marked the formation
of a new national intelligence Service for South Africa. The
intelligence Services Act, 1994 (Act 38 of 1994), amalgamated
the former intelligence structures into the National Intelligence
Agency (NIA), which deals with domestic intelligence. The South
African Secret Service (SASS) is responsible for foreign intelligence.
The National Strategic Intelligence Act, 1994 (Act 39 of 1994)
defines and demarcates the intelligence functions of the National
Intelligence bodies and establishes a National Intelligence Coordinating
Committee (Nicoc) chaired by an Intelligence Coordinator. The
Committee of Members of Parliament on and Inspectors-General of
Intelligence Act, 1994 (Act 40 of 1994) establishes a parliamentary
supervisory committee to monitor and review the work of the intelligence
community. the democratic intelligence dispensation provides,
among other things, for a new and broader definition of national
security, allegiance to the Constitution, subordination to the
rule of law and a clearly defined legal mandate.
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