South African National Defence Force


The South African National Defence Force comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The Chief of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans of the Defence Department.
The military as it exists today was created in 1994, following South Africa's first nonracial election in April of that year and the adoption of a new constitution. It replaced the South African Defence Force and also integrated uMkhonto we Sizwe, and the Azanian People's Liberation Army guerilla forces.

History

Integration process

In 1994, the SANDF took over the personnel and equipment from the SADF and integrated forces from the former Bantustan 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 Azanian People's Liberation Army and the Self-Protection Units of the Inkatha Freedom Party. The Azanian People's Organisation's AZANLA was invited but refused to be integrated and to this day remains the only guerrilla force not integrated into the current force.
As of 2004, the integration process was considered complete, with the retention of personnel, structure, and equipment from the SADF. However, due to integration problems, financial constraints, and other issues, the SANDF faced capability constraints.
The South African Commando System was a civil militia active until 2008, based upon local units from the size of company to battalion. In its final years its role was to support the South African Police Service during internal operations. During such deployments the units came under SAPS control.

1999 re-armament

In 1999, a R30 billion purchase of weaponry by the South African Government was finalised, which has been subject to allegations of corruption. The South African Department of Defence's Strategic Defence Acquisition purchased frigates, submarines, light utility helicopters, lead-in fighter trainer and multirole combat aircraft.

Decline

Systemic public-sector corruption, State capture, had a debilitating effect on Denel and consequently the country's defence capability. In 2014 some 62% of the SANDF's facilities and housing were deemed to be in unacceptable condition, of which 4% were hazardous, another 2% fit to be demolished, and some occupied by squatters. This contributed to low soldier morale and poor discipline. Equipment became largely obsolete due to inadequate maintenance, while renewal stalled with devastating effects on the defence industry. According to the Department of Defence's 2014 Defence Review, the SANDF was "in a critical state of decline". A series of cuts to its capital and operating budgets compromised several capabilities.
In 2017 and 2021 respectively, 83 and some 200 to 500 out-of-service military vehicles were destroyed in fires at the Wallmansthal vehicle depot, and a spokesperson was not available to liaise with the press. Notwithstanding, it was reported to parliament in 2022, that technical skills gained from personnel of the Cuban RAF facilitated the preservation and maintenance of over 600,000 infantry weapons. Their mechanical and vehicular skills allowed for the inspection, repair, refurbishment and/or deactivation of vehicles in the special forces and the four arms of service fleets, besides the implementation of stock control and technical support measures, and the rehabilitation of army workshops and work stations.
After submissions to parliament by Armscor, earlier in 2022, a spokesman for the official opposition, the DA, stated that the country's defence capability had been weakened to the extent that it was unprepared for a serious security challenge. The Navy and Air Force were highlighted as easy targets, as only one of the four frigates were serviceable, and none of the submarines, while only 46 of 217 fixed-wing aircraft were serviceable, and only 27 of 87 helicopters. Budget and hardware constraints also compromised flight training and exercises, besides the retention of experienced pilots and personnel. The defence minister's appointment of an Air Force chief, Wiseman Mbambo, who cannot fly a plane and doesn't have a pilot's licence was also criticized. The SANDF had only 14 infantry battalions consisting of 12,000 soldiers in aggregate, of which five were deployed in peacekeeping and border patrol, leaving only nine to serve as home or rapid response units.
In February 2022 the power supply to its Navy headquarters in Pretoria was disconnected when its municipal taxes were in arrears to the amount of R3.2 million. During the same month Sandu threatened legal action if the dilapidated Air Force headquarters building in Pretoria were not repaired to facilitate acceptable working conditions. In March 2022 the SANDF and Navy were locked out of several office buildings in Pretoria due to rent defaults by the Department of Public Works. 63% of the 2022/23 defence budget was allocated to employee compensation.
In 2022 the SANDF was involved in multiple corruption scandals totaling R2 billion; one of which involved 56 SANDF personnel two of whom were generals all of whom were suspended. An additional 13 SANDF personal from the Logistics, Joint Operations and Special Forces divisions were convicted for corruption in another incident.

Domestic operations

, the SANDF was involved in several internal operations, including:
  • Safeguarding the border
  • Disaster relief and assistance
  • Safety and security
  • Ridding the country of illegal weapons, drug dens, prostitution rings and other illegal activities
In 2021, SANDF forces were deployed in response to the civil unrest following the jailing on corruption charges of former president Jacob Zuma. By 14 July, over 25,000 troops had been deployed, the largest single deployment of the South African National Defence Force since 1994.

International operations

The SANDF partakes in UN peacekeeping missions, mostly on the African continent. As part of the SADC standby force, it partakes in peace missions in the DRC and northern Mozambique. It also provides foreign election security when needed.

Organisation and structure

Overall command is vested in an officer-designated Chief of the SANDF. Appointed from any of the Arms of Service, they are the only person in the SANDF at the rank of General or Admiral, and are accountable to the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, who heads the Department of Defence.
The structure of the SANDF is depicted below:
In 2010, a Defence Amendment Bill created a permanent National Defence Force Service Commission, a statutory advisory body that reports to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. Its primary mandate is to review and make recommendations on the conditions of service, remuneration, career progression, and general welfare of SANDF personnel, both in the Regular and Reserve components.
The Commission plays a key role in ensuring that the interests of military personnel are represented at the highest levels of government and that the SANDF maintains professional standards in line with constitutional and legislative requirements.
Overall command is vested in an officer-designated Chief of the SANDF. Appointed from any of the Arms of Service, they are the only person in the SANDF at the rank of General or Admiral, and are accountable to the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, who heads the Department of Defence.
The SANDF is structured into four main service branches:
  • South African Army – the landward defence component and the largest branch of the SANDF. The Army is organised into several divisions and formations, including the Infantry Formation, Armour Formation, Artillery Formation, Air Defence Artillery Formation, Engineer Formation, and Support Formation.
  • South African Air Force – responsible for air operations, air defence, transport, and surveillance. The SAAF is organised into several commands, including Combat Aircraft Squadrons, Transport and Maritime Squadrons, Helicopter Squadrons, and the Air Command and Control Centre.
  • South African Navy – provides maritime defence, sea transport, and the protection of South Africa's territorial waters. The Navy is structured around Fleet Command, headquartered at Simon’s Town, and includes Frigate, Submarine, Mine Countermeasures, and Support Squadrons. The Navy also maintains the Maritime Reaction Squadron, a versatile amphibious marine-type unit.
  • South African Military Health Service – a separate branch responsible for medical support, field hospitals, health logistics, and healthcare for SANDF members and, in emergencies, for civilians. It operates military hospitals, medical battalions, and specialist health institutes.
In addition to these four services, the South African Special Forces Brigade operates as an independent formation under the direct command of the Chief of the SANDF. The Brigade is tasked with strategic reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, and specialised operations, and is regarded as an elite component of the SANDF.
Supporting the services are additional components:
  • Defence Intelligence Division – provides military intelligence, counterintelligence, and strategic assessments.
  • Joint Operations Division – responsible for planning, coordinating, and commanding operational deployments of the SANDF both domestically and internationally, including peace support missions.
  • Logistics Division – manages procurement, supply chains, maintenance, and the sustainment of equipment and infrastructure.
  • Training Command – oversees basic training, specialist schools, military academies, and professional development programmes.
The SANDF also relies on the Reserve Force, which supplements the Regular Force during operations. The Reserves provide trained personnel, specialist skills, and additional capacity for peacekeeping, border safeguarding, and disaster relief operations.