THE CHALLENGE OF UNIONISATION AND DEMOCRATISATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE

This report documents a seminar held by the Institute for Security Studies on September 19, 2009, regarding the unionisation and democratisation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The discussions focus on the tension between constitutional labour rights and military discipline, the adversarial relationship between the Department of Defence (DOD) and military unions, and the systemic grievances of soldiers leading to protests.

• The South African Constitution provides broad rights to freedom of association and the right for every worker to form and join trade unions, which creates a legal basis for military unionisation in South Africa.
• The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has a history of adversarial relations with unions, characterized by the DOD's opposition to collective bargaining since 1994 and a tendency to fight unions in court over technicalities rather than addressing soldier grievances.
• On May 26, 1999, the Constitutional Court ruled that Section 126B of the Defence Act 44 of 1957, which prohibited military personnel from joining trade unions or participating in strikes and public protests, was unconstitutional.
• Military unionisation is viewed differently across global regions: it is widespread and developed in Europe, whereas in the USA, the issue has largely disappeared and lawmakers are described as 'intensely hostile' toward it.
• Systemic issues within the DOD, including underfunding, deteriorating equipment and facilities, and an extreme 'tooth-to-tail ratio', are cited as drivers for soldier frustration and protests, such as those occurring on August 26, 2009.
• To address service conditions and soldier grievances, a National Defence Force Service Commission is proposed to advise the Minister of Defence. This commission will include experts from business, academia, and civil society to tackle issues like staff retention, poverty, and human trafficking.
• While soldiers are citizens with fundamental rights, it is argued that certain rights, specifically the right to strike, should be limited due to the requirements of professionalism, discipline, and national security.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). THE CHALLENGE OF UNIONISATION AND DEMOCRATISATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMREP190909.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. THE CHALLENGE OF UNIONISATION AND DEMOCRATISATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMREP190909.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=THE CHALLENGE OF UNIONISATION AND DEMOCRATISATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE |date=19 September 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMREP190909.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009challenge, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{THE CHALLENGE OF UNIONISATION AND DEMOCRATISATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/SSGSEMREP190909.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }