NationMaster - Encyclopedia: South African National Defence Force

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is the name of the armed forces of South Africa. The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first post-apartheid national elections and the adoption of a new constitution. It replaced the South African Defence Force (SADF), and included personnel and equipment from the SADF and the former homelands forces, as well as personnel from the former guerrilla forces of some of the political parties involved in South Africa, such as the African National Congress's Umkhonto we Sizwe, the Pan Africanist Congress's APLA and the Self-Protection Units of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). It has been suggested that List of countries by size of armed forces be merged into this article or section. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... The South African Defence Force (SADF) were the South African armed forces from 1957 until 1994. ... Map of the black homelands in South Africa as of 1986 Map of the black homelands in Namibia as of 1978 Bantustan is a territory designated as a tribal homeland for black South Africans and Namibians during the apartheid era. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... For other uses of Umkhonto, see Umkhonto (disambiguation) Umkhonto we Sizwe (or MK), translated Spear of the Nation, was the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC). ... PAC symbol The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) (later the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania), was a South African liberation movement, that is now a minor political party. ... The Azanian Peoples Liberation Army (APLA) was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress. ... The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is a political party in South Africa. ...

As of 2004, the integration process was considered complete, with the integrated personnel having been incorporated into a slightly modified structure very similar to that of the SADF, with the latter's structure and equipment for the most part being retained. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Four armed services

The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President from one of the armed services. The current commander is General Godfrey Ngwenya. He in turn is accountable to the Minister of Defence, currently Mosiuoa "Terror" Lekota. The South African Army is the army of South Africa. ... The South African Air Force roundel The South African Air Force (SAAF) (Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag) is the air force of South Africa. ... The South African Navy (SAN), known in Afrikaans as Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot is the navy of South Africa. ... The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota (13 August 1948 -) is the current (as of 2006) South African Minister of Defence, a position he has held since 17 June 1999. ...

Recent peacekeeping actions on the behalf of the South African military include an invasion of Lesotho in order to restore the democratically-elected government after a coup, as well as extensive contributions to the United Nations peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. An operation to Sudan has just recently been started and is scheduled to be increased to Brigade strength in the next few months. The South African Defense Force Invasion of Lesotho, codenamed Operation Boleas, was a military invasion launched by the South African government in 1998 into the neighbouring country of Lesotho to quell a suspected coup. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ...

South Africa at one time possessed weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, but its stockpile was dismantled during the early 1990s. There have been no attempts to build more nuclear weapons. South Africa developed six or seven gun-type fission nuclear weapons in the 1980s. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ...

The SANDF commander consults with members of several councils and committees and chairs the Defence Command Council (DCC), which oversees the defence budget. On the DCC are the four service chiefs, the chief of the National Defence Force staff, the military inspector general, the chiefs of defence headquarters staff divisions, and other key defence officials. Headquarters responsibilities are allocated among six staff divisions--the Finance Division, the Intelligence Division, the Logistics Division, the Joint Operations Division, the Personnel Division, and the Planning Division.

Recently a large-scale programme was launched to re-equip the SANDF, with warships and submarines being purchased in Germany and fighter jets being purchased in Sweden and the United Kingdom. This has been controversial due to the great cost and reports of corruption in the awarding of contracts. Diagrams of first and third rate warships, England, 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of GÃ¼nther Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter Typhoon class nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Virginia, a Virginia-class nuclear attack (SSN) submarine A submarine is a watercraft that can operate underwater...

Issues that face the SANDF include a severe shortage of pilots and naval combat officers, due to the replacement of white officers from the former SADF with appointments from the old liberation forces. The loss of trained personnel and the decommissioning of much needed equipment due to funding issues, high HIV-rates amongst personnel and the fact that SANDF infantry soldiers are some of the oldest in the world, all raise questions regarding the current fighting efficiency of the SANDF. Some of these issues are being addressed with the introduction of the Military Skills Development (MDC) programme, as well as aggressive recruitment and training by the Reserve Force Regiments. The Military Skills Development program is a South African whose aim it is to improve the mission readiness of the South African Army, Airforce, Navy and Medical Service. ... The Military Reserves are an organization that is associated with the military but is not in active duty. ...

See also

The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. ... The South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. ... SWATF is an abbreviation for the South West African Territorial Force. ... South African Orders, Decorations and Medals are those military and civilian orders, decorations and medals issued by the Government of South Africa. ... // List of South African military chiefs South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force was established in 1912 as the Union Defence Forces. ...

External links

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Militaries of African countries

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Image File history File links South African National Defence Force emblem from http://www. ... Image File history File links South African Army badge from [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The South African Army is the army of South Africa. ... Image File history File links South African Navy badge File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The South African Navy (SAN), known in Afrikaans as Suid-Afrikaanse Vloot is the navy of South Africa. ... Image File history File links Public Domain image of the South African Air Force roundel from af. ... The South African Air Force roundel The South African Air Force (SAAF) (Afrikaans: Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag) is the air force of South Africa. ... South Africa History History of South Africa Events Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War) Boer War Pretoria Convention Sharpeville Massacre Rivonia Trial Historical Groups Azanian Peoples Liberation Army Democratic Party (South Africa) (DP) Dutch East India Company National Party Umkhonto we Sizwe Places Robben Island Bantustan Bophuthatswana Ciskei QwaQwa... The history of South Africa is viewed differently by various scholars and by its various population groups because South Africa is a multicultural country. ... History of Cape Colony via a written history of the area known as Cape Colony, and later Cape Province in South Africa began when Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. ... Petty apartheid: sign on Durban beach in English, Afrikaans and Zulu (1989) Apartheid (meaning separatism in Afrikaans cognate to English apart and -hood) was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. ... Foreign Relations of South Africa South African forces fought on the Allied side in both World War I and World War II, and it participated in the postwar United Nations force in the Korean War. ... South Africa developed six or seven gun-type fission nuclear weapons in the 1980s. ... See Also: List of cities and towns in the Eastern Cape, List of cities and towns in the Free State, List of cities and towns in Gauteng, List of cities and towns in KwaZulu-Natal, List of cities and towns in Limpopo, List of cities and towns in Mpumalanga, List... There are officially nine cities in South Africa (members of the South African cities network). ... Most of South Africas national parks are maintained by South Africa National Parks (SANPark) while the parks in KwaZulu-Natal are managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (an amalgamation of the former Natal Parks Board and KwaZulu Directorate of Nature Conservation). ... Post Codes were introduced in South Africa in 1975, with the introduction of automated sorting. ... South Africa has switched to a closed numbering system, although as of 2005 it still isnt mandatory to dial the three-digit area code. ... // Constitution Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution. ... Political parties in South Africa lists political parties in South Africa. ... Elections in South Africa take place on national, provincial, and local levels. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ... This is a list of South African Municipalities. ... There is no single Culture of South Africa. ... South African English is a dialect of English spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. ... art forms of southern africa, is beautifully painted vases and wood made into animals Categories: Africa-related stubs ... Cookery practised by indigenous people of South Africa such as the Khoisan and Xhosa- and Sotho-speaking people Settler cookery introduced during the colonial period by people of Afrikaner and British descent and their slaves and servants - this includes the cuisine of the Cape Malay people, which has many characteristics... Islam in South Africa probably predates the colonial period, and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East African traders. ... South Africa has a diverse literary history. ... The South African music scene includes both popular (jive) and folk forms. ... // Lionel Abrahams Tatamkulu Afrika Ingrid Andersen Shabbir Banoobhai Robert Berold Sinclair Beiles Vonani Bila Roy Blumenthal Breyten Breytenbach Dennis Brutus Frederick Guy Butler Roy Campbell Jack Cope Jeremy Cronin Patrick Cullinan Gary Cummiskey Sheila Cussons Achmat Dangor Ingrid de Kok Sandile Dikeni Modikwe Dikobe Isobel Dixon Susann Deysel CJ Driver... Holidays in South Africa: The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) determines that whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following it will be a public holiday. ... The following is a partial list of South African television series. ... The South African Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognized Scouting association in South Africa. ... South Africa History History of South Africa Events Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War) Boer War Pretoria Convention Sharpeville Massacre Rivonia Trial Historical Groups Azanian Peoples Liberation Army Democratic Party (South Africa) (DP) Dutch East India Company National Party Umkhonto we Sizwe Places Robben Island Bantustan Bophuthatswana Ciskei QwaQwa... This is a list of notable South Africans with Wikipedia articles. ... HIV and AIDS in South Africa are a major health concern. ... // Telephone Telephones - main lines in use: 4. ... This is a list of companies in South Africa. ... Military branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, Peoples Militia Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,688,072 (2002 est. ... Military branches: Army, Coast Guard Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 92,486 (2002 est. ... The military of the Central African Republic (Forces armées centrafricaines or FACA), currently numbers at approximately 2,000, and military expenditures amount to 1. ... The military of the Democratic Republic of Congo is currently in the rebuilding process after the Second Congo War officially ended in July 2003. ... The 17,000-man Ivorian Armed Forces (FANCI) include an army, navy, air force, and gendarmerie. ... The military of Equatorial Guinea was reorganized in 1979. ... The island nation of SÃ£o TomÃ© and PrÃncipe off the coast of West Africa maintains a very small military, consisting of four branches: the Army, the Coast Guard, the Presidential Guard, and the National Guard. ... Military branches:Army (RSLAF) Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,228,664 (2003 est. ... Military branches: South African National Defence Force or SANDF (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Service), South African Police Service (SAPS) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 11,924,500 (2004 est. ...

Dependencies and other territories
Ceuta · Mayotte · Melilla · Puntland · Réunion · St. Helena · Somaliland · Western Sahara (SADR) A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... Types of political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK See also : Saint Helena Refer to Saint Helena Article. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Western Sahara (EH in ISO 3166-1) is a region of northwestern Africa, bordering Morocco on the north, Algeria on the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. ...

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See also

External links

Four armed services