Continuity in Change: The SA Army in Transition

The report examines the transformation of the South African Army (SA Army) within the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), highlighting the shift toward civilian oversight and the legitimisation of the Department of Defence. It identifies significant hurdles in human resources, including a prolonged integration process for former combatants, 'transformation fatigue', and a funding crisis that has curtailed training and operational capability. The text also details structural shifts toward 'jointness' in operations and a move toward 'just-in-time' logistics, while noting that the army remains largely 'untransformed' in practice despite policy changes.

• The South African military has transitioned from being an "instrument of racial oppression" to an entity that is increasingly accepted and politically positioned to fulfill its mandated responsibilities, aided by the consultative formulation of the 1996 White Paper on Defence and a subsequent Defence Review.
• By 1998, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) exhibited signs of "transformation fatigue", institutional overstretch, and poor role-definition, with the SA Army specifically still regarded as "untransformed" by senior leadership.
• The process of integrating various armed forces into a single SANDF has lasted over four years without a political decision to terminate it, leading to training system congestion and increased expenditure on assembly areas and bridging training.
• A funding crisis and high personnel costs have led to a decline in operational capability, as procurement is stalled and training has been reduced.
• Despite progress in demographic composition, white officers still disproportionately dominate most rank groups except for lance-corporals and privates; the expected exit of these technical skills is predicted to harm operational effectiveness and discipline.
• The SA Army is shifting its operational model toward "jointness", separating force preparation (the role of the arms of service) from force employment, which is now the responsibility of the Chief of Joint Operations.
• Logistics are being restructured from a system of maintaining reserves on wheels (B echelons) to a "just-in-time" cargo drop system involving increased outsourcing and civilian participation.
• Regional security perspectives from Tanzania suggest that Southern African security cooperation should be based on consensus and equitable arrangements rather than being dominated by South Africa.

APA

Cilliers, J. (1998). Continuity in Change: The SA Army in Transition. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-26-continuity-in-change-the-sa-army-in-transitionedited-by-jakkie-cilliers

Chicago

Cilliers, Jakkie. Continuity in Change: The SA Army in Transition. Institute for Security Studies, 1998. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-26-continuity-in-change-the-sa-army-in-transitionedited-by-jakkie-cilliers.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cilliers |first1=Jakkie |title=Continuity in Change: The SA Army in Transition |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 1998 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-26-continuity-in-change-the-sa-army-in-transitionedited-by-jakkie-cilliers |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cilliers1998continuity, author = {Cilliers, Jakkie}, title = {{Continuity in Change: The SA Army in Transition}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {1998}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-26-continuity-in-change-the-sa-army-in-transitionedited-by-jakkie-cilliers}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }