AIM AND FOCUS OF THE DEFENCE REVIEW
1. In May 1996 the Minister of Defence presented to Parliament the White Paper on National Defence for the Republic of South Africa. Parliament approved the document, with strong support expressed by all political parties.
2. The overarching theme of the White Paper is the transformation of defence policy and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the light of the momentous political and strategic developments which have occurred at national, regional and international levels following the demise of the Cold War and the ending of apartheid.
3. At national level these developments include the establishment of a democratic government; the introduction of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) to address poverty and socio-economic inequality; the policy of national unity and reconciliation; and the adoption of a new Constitution which outlaws discrimination, enshrines fundamental human rights and lays thebasis for democratic civil-military relations.
4. After two and a half decades of isolation, South Africa has been welcomed back into the international community and has joined a host of important regional and international bodies. South Africa now engages in defence co-operation with a number of countries and participates in regional security arrangements under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
5. In the light of these developments and the integration of the former statutory and non-statutory forces, the challenge of transformation is substantial and complex. The White Paper addresses this challenge at the level of broad policy. It establishes a policy framework and the main principles of defence in our new democracy.
6. The White Paper also provides for a Defence Review, the aim of which is to elaborate on this policy framework through comprehensive long-range planning on such matters as posture, doctrine, force design, force levels, logistic support, armaments, equipment, human resources and funding.
7. More specifically, the White Paper provides that the Review will encompass the following:
7.1 It will present options with respect to the size, roles and structure of the SANDF.
7.2 It will address the implications of the core force approach, described in Chapter 5 of the White Paper, for the size, doctrine, posture, weaponry, equipment and other features of the SANDF.
7.3 It will address the strategic and technical implications of the constitutional provision that the SANDF "shall be primarily defensive in the exercise or performance of its powers and functions".
7.4 It will deal with the implications of the principles of defence in a democracy , described in Chapter 2 of the White Paper, for the orientation of the SANDF.
7.5 It will present, for the consideration of Parliament and the public, detailed and well-motivated budgetary forecasts and proposals; specific policies regarding the provisioning of logistic resources; and the identification of appropriate technology to optimise the cost-effectiveness of the core force.
7.6 It will deal with the size and structure of the Part-Time Component (PTC).
7.7 It will include an examination of prevailing conditions in the SANDF with the view to rationalising current spending, eliminating waste and unnecessary duplication, and determining the most cost-effective means of managing human and material resources.
7.8 It will provide details on the rationalisation, redesign and right-sizing of the SANDF given the absence of a foreseeable conventional military threat.
7.9 In the context of demobilisation and rationalisation, it will outline a formula and guidelines for ensuring that the former statutory and non-statutory forces are equitably represented in the SANDF.
PROCESS OF CONDUCTING THE DEFENCE REVIEW
8. The drafting of the Defence Review was the responsibility of a Working Group appointed by the Minister of Defence and co-ordinated by the Secretary for Defence. The Working Group established specialist sub-committees on defence posture, functions and force design; human resource issues; the PTC; the arms industry; legal issues; and land and the environment.
9. The Working Group and its sub-committees comprised members of Parliament, the Defence Secretariat, the regular and part-time components of the SANDF, Armscor and the defence industry, the academic community, and non-governmental organisations.
10. In the interests of achieving a national consensus on defence matters, the Minister decided at the outset that the Review should be subject to a process of consultation with defence stakeholders and interest groups.
11. To this end, national consultative conferences were held on 12-13 February 1996, 12-13 August 1996 and 16 May 1997. Two rounds of regional workshops were held in Gauteng, KwaZulu/Natal, Western Cape, Free State, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape and Northern Province in both July 1996 and May 1997. The conferences and workshops were open to the public. They were attended by national and provincial parliamentarians, members of political parties and government departments, and a broad cross-section of the defence establishment and civil society.
12. The Work Group presented several briefings on the Defence Review to the parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Defence. The Working Group has endeavoured to address the questions and concerns of committee members in the Defence Review.
13. The Defence Review has been reviewed by the decision-making bodies of the Department of Defence and by the Minister of Defence. The reports submitted by the Work Group were submitted to Cabinet and Parliament for their consideration.
14. In addition to the Defence Review, the Minister established a Transformation Project which is intended, inter alia, to redesign the non-combat structures of the Department in the light of budgetary constraints, new defence policy and approved force design. The goal is to ensure adequate, appropriate, accountable and affordable defence for South Africa. This entails an investigation aimed at eliminating inefficiency and minimising costs through, inter alia, the rationalisation of units and headquarters and the development of sound administrative, command and management principles.
SCOPE OF THE DEFENCE REVIEW
15. The Defence Review considered and presented proposals on the following subjects:
15.1 Defence posture and doctrine. [Chapter 2]
15.2 The primary function of the SANDF, namely the defence of the RSA and its people against military threats; defence tasks and contingencies in relation to this function; the 'core force' approach; and the implications thereof for the structure of the 'peace-time force'. [Chapter 3]
15.3 The secondary functions and tasks of the SANDF with respect to regional security [Chapter 4]; international peace support operations [Chapter 5]; internal deployment in co-operation with the SA Police Service (SAPS) [Chapter 6]; and non-military activities [Chapter 7].
15.4 Force design options for the structure, weaponry and equipment of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Medical Services of the SANDF, and the budgetary implications thereof. [Chapter 8]
15.5 Force structure which examines the support structures of the Department of Defence in the light of pronouncements thus far in the Transformation Project. These are preliminary indications and may change as the Transformation Project develops further. [Chapter 9]
15.6 The Human Resource vision of the Department of Defence, including its policies currently under formulation. [Chapter Ten]
15.7 The Part-time Force vision of the Department of Defence. [Chapter Eleven]
15.8 The land and environment policies of the Department of Defence as informed by national policy. [Chapter Twelve]
15.9 Acquisition management which outlines the processes pertinent to acquisition management in the Department of Defence. [Chapter Thirteen]
15.10 The revision of defence legislation which will be taken forward in the revision of the Defence Act and the Military Disciplinary Code. [Chapter Fourteen]
15.11 A conclusion which examines the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the impact of constraints on national resources on the attainment of the Department of Defence's policy vision. [Chapter Fifteen]
LOGIC OF THE DEFENCE REVIEW
16. The Defence Review seeks to determine the appropriate size, structure and force design of the SANDF into the next century. To make such determination, it is necessary to first establish the following:
16.1 The tasks which the SANDF will and may have to perform in the future.
16.2 The manner in which these tasks should be undertaken.
16.3 The equipment and weaponry required by the SANDF to fulfil these tasks.
17. The identification of SANDF tasks is based on the following:
17.1 The Constitutional provisions on defence.
17.2 The policy contained in the White Paper on Defence.
17.3 An analysis of the internal and external security environment. This analysis entails the following steps:
17.3.1 identifying defence contingencies (ie situations in which the SANDF will or may have to be employed);
17.3.2 assessing the probability of such situations arising;
17.3.3 assessing the impact on South Africa if the SANDF does not or cannot take the necessary steps to address these situations; and
17.3.4 prioritising the contingencies in the light of the above.
18. The determination of the manner in which the SANDF will fulfil its tasks is based on the following:
18.1 The national policy and foreign policy of government.
18.2 The provisions in the Constitution and the White Paper on Defence regarding the posture and functions of the SANDF. The most important provisions in this regard are that 'South Africa shall abide by international law on armed conflict' and that 'the SANDF shall have a primarily defensive orientation and posture'.
19. The size, structure and weaponry of the SANDF will be based not only on the considerations outlined above, but also on budgetary restraints. Defence planning can therefore be described as 'needs-driven and cost-constrained'. Budget constraints will make it necessary to prioritise and stagger major weapons procurement programmes.
20. The force design proposed in Chapter 8 of the Defence Review takes cognisance of the process described above. The initial Defence Review reports were presented in such a way that decision-makers (ie the Minister, Cabinet and Parliament) were able to review and, if necessary adjust, the reasoning which led to the force design.
21. The vision force structure described in Chapter 9 of the Defence Review is firmly rooted in a holistic understanding of transformation of the defence function, and is not limited to merely addressing organisational restructuring. The vision force structure described in the chapter is not cast in stone, but is open to amendment as the transformation project progresses.
22. Both Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 set a policy vision for the force design and the force structure of the SANDF. This will be tempered by national priorities and the budgetary realities presented in Chapter 15, the concluding chapter of the Defence Review.
23. Defence policy on human resource management and the part-time force are outlined in Chapter 10 and Chapter 11. These chapters encapsulate broad pronouncements on these issues, setting the foundation for a range of topical issues and firmly locates the management of defence personnel within Constitutional requirements and a cognisance of fundamental human rights.
24. Policy on defence land, facilities and environmental management is developed in Chapter 12, within the framework of national policy on land and environment management.
25. Defence acquisition management processes and structures are outlined in Chapter 13. These attempt to bring the acquisition of defence capital equipment in line with the demand for accountable and transparent governance and also gives expression to strategic technologies and equipment required by the SANDF.
26. The process adopted to revise defence legislation is outlined in Chapter 14. This relates to the process identified to revise both the Military Disciplinary Code and the Defence Act, a process which exists outside of this Defence Review.
KEY CONCEPTS UNDERPINNING THE DEFENCE REVIEW
27. The following key concepts, drawn mainly from the White Paper on Defence, underpin the Defence Review.
Approach to Security
28. The government has adopted a broad, holistic approach to security, recognising the various non-military dimensions of security and the distinction between the security of the state and the security of people. The greatest threats to the security of the South African people are socio-economic problems like poverty and unemployment, and the high level of crime and violence.
Approach to Defence
29. The government has adopted a narrow, conventional approach to defence. The primary function of the SANDF is defence against external aggression. The other functions are secondary.
30. The Defence Review therefore sets a policy vision for the size, structure, weaponry, equipment and funding requirements of the SANDF, mainly on the basis of its primary function. Where the self-defence capabilities are insufficient for certain secondary functions - such as peace support operations and internal deployment in co-operation with the SAPS - additional capabilities may be required.
Arms Control and Disarmament
31. South Africa is committed to the goals of arms control and disarmament at national, regional and international levels. It has introduced new policy on conventional arms transfers, banned the manufacture and export of anti-personnel mines, and endorsed the international prohibitions on the manufacture, use and export of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and related technology.
International Law on Armed Conflict
32. The Constitution provides that South Africa will conduct its defence policy, and the SANDF will execute military operations, in accordance with international law on armed conflict.
33. International law prohibits the initiation of armed hostilities by states. This does not preclude the exercise of the right of self-defence if South Africa is subject to an act of aggression. [Chapter 2]
34. The Review also provides that deterrence - which seeks to dissuade aggression by promising to inflict severe harm on an attacker - will be based on a counter-force rather than a counter-value doctrine. In other words, deterrence threatens to destroy enemy forces and capabilities rather than civilian institutions and populations.
Defensive Posture
35. The government does not currently, and will not in the future, have aggressive intentions towards any state. It regards the use or threat of military force as a measure of last resort in the face of aggression when non-violent forms of conflict resolution have failed. The emphasis lies on preventing conflict through co-operation with other states, particularly in Southern Africa.
36. In the light of the above and South Africa's commitment to abide by international law, the SANDF will have a primarily defensive orientation and posture. This has implications for doctrine, training and force design. For example, manifestly offensive armaments and systems have been excluded from the force design. Other potentially offensive weapons systems which give undue strategic reach have been limited in number.
Defence spending and the Peace-Time Force
37. The Department of Defence accepts the national imperative of channelling the financial resources of the state to the RDP in order to alleviate socio-economic problems like poverty and unemployment. In the light of this imperative, and in the absence of any foreseeable external military threat, the Defence Review seeks to establish an affordable peace-time force.
38. The peace-time force will comprise a relatively small regular component backed up by a sufficiently large part-time component. These components should constitute a balanced and sustainable 'core force' capable of dealing with small-scale defence contingencies which arise in the short-term. Since the long-term future is inherently uncertain, it is also necessary to maintain the capabilities required to expand the core force if the security situation deteriorates significantly.
39. The SANDF's annual budget makes provision for the maintenance, development and preparation of the peace-time force. As a general rule, it does not provide for operations due to the unpredictable nature thereof; special budgetary allocations therefore have to be made where the President authorises the employment of the SANDF in operations, including peace support operations and co-operation with the SAPS in the maintenance of law and order. Currently, the SANDF does budget for its internal deployments because of the on-going nature of this task.
International Peace Operations
40. With the advent of democracy, South Africa has moved from an isolationist position to one of engagement in international fora and participation in regional, continental and international peace initiatives. This will lead, in time, to South Africa's involvement in multi-national peace support operations.
Regional Security
41. South Africa's relations with neighbouring states have shifted from animosity to friendship and co-operation. South Africa is committed to strengthening common security arrangements, defence co-operation and confidence- and security-building measures within the framework of SADC and the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC).
Internal Deployment
42. The government regards the on-going deployment of the SANDF in an internal policing capacity as undesirable. Ideally, the military should be utilised only in extreme situations, such as a state of emergency and against threats to the constitutional order.
43. Notwithstanding the above, deployment in co-operation with the SAPS is likely to persist for some time because of on-going public violence and the relative shortage of police personnel.
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