Marion Edmunds
The South African navy’s affirmative action drive is faltering, partly because black recruits resist going to sea, reject naval traditions and would prefer desk jobs in Gauteng to be close to their families.
In a report to the parliamentary integration oversight committee, which monitors the transformation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), the navy admits it is struggling to find suitable black recruits, and those it has found are often frustrated.
While the navy says it is committed to black recruitment, it is finding it uphill work, particularly as it has concentrated its efforts in a land-locked province. “The majority of suitable African applicants emanate in Gauteng … This results in numerous requests for geographical transfers to Pretoria … Career development of many African members is thus often negatively affected by their area-boundness,” says the report.
While the first black naval employees saw service in the 1950s as “berthing attendants, drivers, fire-fighters and cleaners”, blacks only became officers from 1990. Since then the uniformed black permanent force component has increased from 1% to 16%.
“Some African members have had some difficulty in assimilating the naval way of life, in particular resisting service at sea,” the report says, observing that this aversion is reflected in “breaches in discipline”. When the navy attempts to punish offenders, it is often labelled as “racist”, the report reads.
The navy has employed black psychologists to broaden the scope of entrance tests for recruits, is visiting black schools and seeking out model black sea-faring officers to provoke interest among young people.
“Selected African sailors with suitable profiles as appropriate role models, as well as non-white civilian personnel, have been placed at the various naval recruiting centres to convey the image of ‘be like me’ in inspiring new applicants … ” said the report.
The navy has also asked for assistance from “influential African persons”, including the vice-chancellor of the University of the North, Professor Njabulo Ndebele, to identify likely candidates for fast- tracking.
“The navy has earned respect and credibility among the African population … for these initiatives,” says the report. Only 14% of the navy is black, with a majority of coloured personnel – 41%. Whites make up 38%, and 7% is Asian. Only 9% are women.
Military discipline is an increasingly contentious problem in all SANDF forces as members of the former non-statutory armies, former homeland forces particularly, express dissatisfaction about the way in which courts martial are conducted.
This week the Joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence was to discuss the appointment of a military ombudsman, who will work within the Public Protector’s office, dealing with complaints from dissatisfied defence force personnel who find little relief within the current military judicial system. The meeting was postponed due to poor attendance by MPs.
The SANDF will not release statistics on disobedience within the ranks. However, it has confirmed that almost 325 000 man-days were lost in the year to May due to absenteeism, most absent without leave (Awol).
An average of 1 366 employees were Awol each working day, with 258 claiming medical leave.
Among the reasons given for members being Awol were transport problems, imprisonment, indiscipline, substance abuse and participation in traditional ceremonies such as initiation.
Research is currently under way to redraft the country’s military disciplinary code to make it more relevant to the new South Africa, and to create conditions to prevent Awol.
The Defence Department is trying to keep a lid on dissatisfaction that is expressing itself in disobedience and low morale increasing resignations from the army and the navy.
In the first half of this year, almost 3 500 SANDF members had voluntarily quit the forces, compared to 4 389 for the whole of 1996.