Chapter 13

CONCLUSION

The broad experience with demobilisation in developing countries, South Africa included, is characterised by the severe difficulty experienced in economically integrating veterans into civilian life. Long-term reintegration is directly dependent upon the former soldier obtaining stable and gainful employment. However, most veterans suffer from a shortage of capital and have no marketable skills that can easily translate into full employment within a highly competitive economy. As Nicole Ball of the Overseas Development Council in Washington has observed:

"African ex-combatants constitute a specially disadvantaged group. The typical veteran is semi-literate, is unskilled, has few personal possessions, often has no housing or land and frequently has many dependents. Some veterans are also physically and psychologically handicapped by wartime experiences. Many find it difficult to take independent initiatives and to cope with the ordinary demands of civilian life. Even when they possess a marketable skill, such as a mechanic or driver, former combatants tend to have little or no experience in the labour market, having taken up arms at an early stage."79

Consequently, the reintegration process poses significant challenges for reintegration. In this context, successful reintegration implies that the demobilised former combatant "settles in the community of his choice and generates an income."80 The key to a successful reintegration programme is appropriate post-demobilisation training. As Rocky Williams has emphasised, "fundamental to the success of any demobilisation programme, is the effective preparation of former military personnel."81 The results of the survey outlined in chapters 11 and 12 suggest that South Africa’s first phase of demobilisation did not adequately prepare soldiers for employment in the general economy.

The results of the survey outlined in this monograph suggest that the vast majority of South Africa’s demobilised soldiers remain unemployed and are struggling to support themselves and their families. Many former combatants are clearly unhappy about their demobilisation from the SANDF, even though a large number indicated an interest in rejoining the military if offered the opportunity. Some former soldiers have returned to their communities, have settled down, found jobs and have managed to put the past behind them. However, the picture as a whole suggests that former combatants still require significant assistance if they are to be fully reintegrated back into civil society. The results of this survey would thus tend to support the conclusions reached by Motumi, McKenzie and Cock, that demobilisation did not effectively provide for the effective reintegration of former combatants into society. Given that the demobilisation process affected only a limited number of individuals and that the next phase of demobilisation, or rationalisation, is likely to be much bigger, urgent attention needs to be given to the resolution of outstanding issues relating to past demobilisation and plans for future rationalisation by giving consideration to the experiences of the past, as well as lessons learned from other countries.

Any support programme must be designed on the basis of the needs and aspirations of former combatants, their families and communities. Reintegration programmes thus need to be adjusted in response to a continuing dialogue with former combatants. Moreover, past experiences show that the process is more successful if it is demilitarised. But there is no guaranteed blueprint for success. The appropriateness of assistance interventions depends on a case-by-case basis. For both the former combatant and the reintegration programme administrator, the process is an ongoing and joint learning exercise. Given the need for continuing dialogue, the actual implementation of programmes is best handled in a decentralised way. However, effective communication with the central administration remains important for overall success.

The lessons to be learned from demobilisation in the developing world, as well as South Africa’s first post-1994 demobilisation process, suggest that the future rationalisation of the SANDF will require a very strong political commitment, an inclusive approach to planning, the availability and co-ordination of adequate funding, along with the required administrative capacity, comprehensive and targeted assistance packages and the determination to adopt a long-term perspective with regard to economic reintegration.82 Despite the obvious difficulties for former combatants to find employment outside the military, former defence personnel have a range of skills, which would be suitable for civilian application with some adaptation. These skills include administration, information technology, management, logistics, electronics, mechanics, civil engineering, vehicle maintenance, public health, cooking, printing and surveying. These skills form an excellent foundation for human resource conversion to gainful long-term employment.