SADF Conscription

BAD GUYS

Personal Accounts of Military Service in the South African Defence Force 1969 to 1990

Most people today, when presented with the more recently accepted picture of the Apartheid regime that ruled in South Africa until the mid-1990s, can be excused for believing that all personnel who served in the Armed Forces of the South African Defence Force during that time were “Bad Guys”, who personally suppressed the black population.

With new and representative governments in power in both Namibia and South Africa today, not much evidence is likely to be produced to counter such an opinion. In this, and other books, we hope to present a human face of those involved in the SADF, most of whom were not remotely evil, and were just trying to make the best they could of a difficult and uncomfortable situation, without considering themselves to have been holding up the Apartheid regime.

The 18 personal accounts in this book are by men who served part of their service in South-West Africa, during the border war.

These are the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the men who were there.

This is part of a series of books of personal accounts of South African Servicemen from 1966 – 1998.  The more established books in the series are `Pro Patria’ originally published in 1995, and `Grensvegter?: South African Army Psychologist’ published in 1996 – both republished via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2021.  The originals of `Pro Patria’ and `Grensvegter?’ have been cited in several articles by Gary Baines, Professor of History at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

A personal account of the experiences of a clinical psychologist who worked in the psychology and psychiatry departments at 1 Military Hospital, Voortrekkerhoogte in 1986 and 1987. He describes the structure of the service and some of the characters who were staff. There are also descriptions of some of the patients who were assessed and treated but from an anecdotal rather than clinical perspective. Complications of a medical service working within a military environment are described, as well as after-hours socialising in the SAMS Officers club, of young medical personnel, many of whom were national servicemen.

This is part of a series of books of personal accounts of South African Servicemen from 1966 – 1998.  The more established books in the series are `Pro Patria’ originally published in 1995, and `Grensvegter?: South African Army Psychologist’ published in 1996 – both republished via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2021.  The originals of `Pro Patria’ and `Grensvegter?’ have been cited in several articles by Gary Baines, Professor of History at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

This book details the experiences of a military psychologist in Sector 10, Owamboland, South West Africa / Namibia in 1987. Appendices include children's descriptions of their experiences of living in Oshakati and Ondangwa, as well as the Critical Incident Debriefing Model used with personnel vulnerable to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

As an autobiography, the first chapter deals with the author learning of his assignment, preparations and his journey. The tenth chapter does the reverse – winding down and returning to ordinary duty in `the states’ (South Africa). Chapters 2 – 4 are mainly descriptions of the various characters involved, as well as the lifestyle of the medical section at the HQ of the most active sector of the South African occupation of Namibia in their counter-insurgency operations against SWAPO. After that the author focuses more on his experience as a clinical psychologist working in a military medical environment – the debriefing of soldiers involved in firefights – one of which is described as a case study, and then the duties of visiting various outlying bases, and insights into working and living in a military environment, some of them humorous anecdotes.

This is a republication of the 1996 edition of this book which has been cited in several articles by Gary Baines, Professor of History at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

STEADFAST WE DID STAND

"Ahead of us was an Olifant with UNITA soldiers riding on top. The next moment there was a huge bang and the tank came out backwards towards us. It had been hit by a FAPLA tank...."

2008 marks the 20th anniversary of a series of battles fought in southern Angola, during a long and bitter war that had wracked that region of Africa for over 21 years.

The South African offensive in late 1987 and early 1988, collectively known as Operation Hooper, consisted of a number of battles fought around the town of Cuito Cuanavale wherein a numerically inferior force of South African tanks, armoured cars and artillery, supported by UNITA forces, decimated three FAPLA Army Brigades and drove them back to Cuito Cuanavale itself.

This is a series of recollections by six former South African soldiers about their experiences in Angola, during Operation Hooper. These personal accounts cover not only their involvement in Angola but the broader aspects of their service in the South African Army.

This is part of a series of books of personal accounts of South African Servicemen from 1966 – 1998.  The more established books in the series are `Pro Patria’ originally published in 1995, and `Grensvegter?: South African Army Psychologist’ published in 1996 – both republished via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2021.  The originals of `Pro Patria’ and `Grensvegter?’ have been cited in several articles by Gary Baines, Professor of History at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

“PW and Sons” was inspired by a somewhat cynical nickname that many conscript soldiers knew the South African army by. The name alluded to the then Prime Minister, Pieter Willem Botha, who was often regarded as the architect of their national service.

The personal accounts contained in this books are by men who completed their national service within South Africa, primarily and who did not go to South West Africa or Angola during the border war, either because they serve too late to be posted there, or because the service was considered to be essential elsewhere.

This is part of a series of books of personal accounts of South African Servicemen from 1966 – 1998.  The more established books in the series are `Pro Patria’ originally published in 1995, and `Grensvegter?: South African Army Psychologist’ published in 1996 – both republished via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2021.  The originals of `Pro Patria’ and `Grensvegter?’ have been cited in several articles by Gary Baines, Professor of History at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.

This contribution surveys recent works on the Border War /Angolan War (1960–1990). It contrasts writings by political theorists, media analysts and literary scholars with works written by soldiers who fought in the war and recollections by embedded journalists. The article’s main focus is on Gary Baines and Peter Vale’s collection of essays entitled Beyond the Border War: New Perspectives on Southern Africa’s Late Cold War Conflicts (Unisa Press, 2008). 

Apartheid society became deeply militarised between 1972 and 1989. One way for the minority regime to remain in power was to make use of mass-conscription of the young male population. In doing so military power could be projected into southern Africa, maintain control over an illegally occupied Namibia and to bolster police forces during the widespread township unrest from 1985 onward. This article explores this era through an auto-ethnographic lenses.