South African Defence Force
Encyclopedia
The South African Defence Force (SADF) was the South Africa
n armed forces
from 1957 until 1994. The former Union Defence Force
was renamed to the South African Defence Force in the Defence Act (No. 44) of 1957. The SADF was superseded by the South African National Defence Force
in 1994.
The SADF was involved in the South African Border War
and in the Angolan Civil War
on the side of UNITA and Angola rebel leader Jonas Savimbi
.
Within South Africa, the SADF was widely used in support of the South African Police
to quell opposition to apartheid
and to maintain law and order.
The SADF implemented conscription
of young white men. There were also a large number of volunteers. These volunteers were white, black, coloured and indian. Conscription
was opposed inter alia by organisations such as the End Conscription Campaign
, but supported in the main by the white population until the early 1990s.
As the military expanded during the 1970s, the SADF general staff was organized into six sections - finance, intelligence, logistics, operations, personnel, and planning; uniquely, the South African Medical Service (SAMS) was made co-equal with the South African Army
, the South African Navy
and the South African Air Force
.
Staff Divisions under the Chief of Defence Staff included:
Other Support Services commands included:
A list of Chiefs of Defence Staff of the SADF:
Other senior officers:
Prior to the dissolution, the SADF had the following force:
as well as personnel from the former anti-apartheid guerrilla forces 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). The new integrated force became known as the South African National Defence Force
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
from 1957 until 1994. The former Union Defence Force
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
was renamed to the South African Defence Force in the Defence Act (No. 44) of 1957. The SADF was superseded by the South African National Defence Force
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is 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...
in 1994.
The SADF was involved in the South African Border War
South African Border War
The South African Border War, commonly referred to as the Angolan Bush War in South Africa, was a conflict that took place from 1966 to 1989 in South-West Africa and Angola between South Africa and its allied forces on the one side and the Angolan government, South-West Africa People's...
and in the Angolan Civil War
Angolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
on the side of UNITA and Angola rebel leader Jonas Savimbi
Jonas Savimbi
Jonas Malheiro Savimbi was an Angolan political leader. He founded and led UNITA, a movement that first waged a guerrilla war against Portuguese colonial rule, 1966–1974, then confronted the rival MPLA during the decolonization conflict, 1974/75, and after independence in 1975 fought the ruling...
.
Within South Africa, the SADF was widely used in support of the South African Police
South African Police
The South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
to quell opposition to apartheid
History of South Africa in the apartheid era
Apartheid was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party governments of South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority 'non-white' inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and white supremacy and Afrikaner minority rule was maintained...
and to maintain law and order.
The SADF implemented conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
of young white men. There were also a large number of volunteers. These volunteers were white, black, coloured and indian. Conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
was opposed inter alia by organisations such as the End Conscription Campaign
End Conscription Campaign
The End Conscription Campaign was an anti-apartheid organisation allied to the United Democratic Front and composed of conscientious objectors and their supporters in South Africa...
, but supported in the main by the white population until the early 1990s.
As the military expanded during the 1970s, the SADF general staff was organized into six sections - finance, intelligence, logistics, operations, personnel, and planning; uniquely, the South African Medical Service (SAMS) was made co-equal with the South African Army
South African Army
The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...
, the South African Navy
South African Navy
The South African Navy is the navy of the Republic of South Africa.-Formation:The South African Navy can trace its official origins back to the SA Naval Service, which was established on 1 April 1922....
and the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
.
Organization
The State President was the Commander-in-Chief of the SADF with:- Chief of the Defence StaffChief of the Defence StaffThe Chief of the Defence Staff can refer to:*Chief of the Defence Force *Chief of the Defence Staff *Chief of the Defence Staff *Chief of the Defence Staff...
- overall senior command officer - Chief of the Army
- Chief of the Air Force
- Chief of the Navy
- Chief of the Military Health Service
Staff Divisions under the Chief of Defence Staff included:
- Personnel
- IntelligenceIntelligenceIntelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
- Operations
- LogisticsLogisticsLogistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
- FinanceFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
Other Support Services commands included:
- Inspector General of the SADF
- Chaplain General of the SADF
A list of Chiefs of Defence Staff of the SADF:
- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
A.J. Liebenberg, SSAOrder of the Star of South AfricaThe Order of the Star of South Africa was a South African honour. It was instituted on 1 July 1975, and was granted by the state president of South Africa, for services connected with national defence and security. It replaced the Star of South Africa decoration, instituted in 1952. The order...
, SDSouthern Cross DecorationThe Southern Cross Decoration was a South African military decoration. It was instituted on July 1, 1975, and was awarded to officers of the South African Defence Force, for outstanding service of the highest order, and utmost devotion to duty. In practice, it was usually a requirement that the...
, SOE, SMSouthern Cross MedalThe Southern Cross Medal was a South African military decoration that was in use from 1952 to 2003. There were two distinct versions.The first type, introduced on 6 April 1952, was awarded for outstanding devotion to duty...
, MMMMilitary Merit MedalMilitary Merit Medal can refer to:* Medal of Military Merit * Military Merit Medal * Military Merit Medal of Philippines* Military Merit Medal * Military Merit Medal * Argentine Army Military Merit Medal... - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Constand ViljoenConstand ViljoenGeneral Constand Viljoen SSA SD SOE SM is a former South African military commander and politician. He is partly credited with preventing the outbreak of armed violence by disaffected Afrikaners prior to the 1994 elections.-Military service:Viljoen received a degree in military science in 1955...
, SSA, SD, SOE, SM - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
J.J. Geldenhuys, SSA, SD, SOE, SM - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Magnus MalanMagnus MalanGeneral Magnus André De Merindol Malan was the Minister of Defence , Chief of the South African Defence Force and Chief of the South African Army.-Early life:...
, SSA, OMSGOrder for Meritorious ServiceThe Order for Meritorious Service was an award in South Africa which ran from 1986-2002 and was the country's highest honor. It was awarded to South Africans who have rendered exceptional public service. It was awarded to people by the order of the President...
, SD, SM
Other senior officers:
- Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
D.P. Knobel, SSASOrder of the Star of South AfricaThe Order of the Star of South Africa was a South African honour. It was instituted on 1 July 1975, and was granted by the state president of South Africa, for services connected with national defence and security. It replaced the Star of South Africa decoration, instituted in 1952. The order...
, SD, SOE, SM, MMM, K St J - Vice AdmiralVice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
G. Syndercombe, SAA, SD, SOE, SM, Chief of SAN - ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
N.C. Parkins - BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Philip Schalkwyk - Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
D.R. Marais
Personnel
- Permanent ForcePermanent ForceThe Permanent Force was an integral part of both the South African Defence Force and the South West Africa Territorial Force and other British Commonwealth militaries. It consisted of all the full time volunteers, volunteers of auxiliaries and national servicemen....
s - Full time Active members - National ServiceNational serviceNational service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
men - Initially called up for 1 year national service, later extended to 2 years national service in 1977, with ongoing short term service requirements. Troops were generally fully trained for operational duty within the space of 4–7 months - Citizen ForceCitizen ForceThe Citizen Force was the name of the general military reserve force of several British Commonwealth countries.-Australian:Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and,...
s - fully trained part-time members - Commando Forces - AKA "Active Citizen Force" - fully trained members
- Special forcesSouth African Special Forces BrigadeThe South African Special Forces Brigade is the only Special Forces unit of the South African National Defence Force ....
- including the Reconnaissance Regiments, and the Civil Co-operation Bureau - Voluntary Term Service - created in 1992 to replace the National Service
- Service Volunteers - non-permanent full time members
- Auxiliary Service - limited duty personnel who did not meet the academic or physical requirements for national service but performed guard, COINCOINCOIN can refer to:* Climate Outreach and Information Network*Collaborative Innovation Networks*Counterinsurgency*Coin...
, labour, and driving duties.
Prior to the dissolution, the SADF had the following force:
- Full-time - 40 000 Volunteer Service, 5 000 National Service
- auxiliaries - 16 000
- civilians - 24 000
- Part-time - 500 000
- Citizen Force (approximately 120 000)
- Commando Force (approximately 130 000 in 200 Units)
- Reserves (approximately 180 000)
Nuclear weapons
South Africa at one time possessed weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, but its stockpile was dismantled during the political transition of the early 1990s.Integration
At the end of apartheid in 1994, the SADF was amalgamated with the defence forces of a number of formerly independent homelandsBantustan
A bantustan was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa , as part of the policy of apartheid...
as well as personnel from the former anti-apartheid guerrilla forces such as the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
's Umkhonto we Sizwe
Umkhonto we Sizwe
Umkhonto we Sizwe , translated "Spear of the Nation," was the armed wing of the African National Congress which fought against the South African apartheid government. MK launched its first guerrilla attacks against government installations on 16 December 1961...
, the Pan Africanist Congress's APLA
Azanian People's Liberation Army
The Azanian People's Liberation Army was the military wing of the Pan Africanist Congress in South Africa. It was originally called Poqo.-History:...
and the Self-Protection Units of the Inkatha Freedom Party
Inkatha Freedom Party
The Inkatha Freedom Party is a political party in South Africa. Since its founding, it has been led by Mangosuthu Buthelezi. It is currently the fourth largest party in the National Assembly of South Africa.-History:...
(IFP). The new integrated force became known as the South African National Defence Force
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force is 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...
.
See also
- Military history of South AfricaMilitary history of South AfricaThe history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defense both within South Africa and against it...
- South African Police ServiceSouth African Police ServiceThe South African Police Service is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1116 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in each province...
- South West African Territorial Force (SWATF)
- Orders, decorations, and medals of South Africa
- South African National Defence ForceSouth African National Defence ForceThe South African National Defence Force is 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...