OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Monday
DEFENCE Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and defence force chief General Siphiwe Nyanda have confirmed that the government is considering reintroducing some form of conscription.
Speaking at a briefing for media and diplomats at Parliament, they said current members of the South African National Defence Force were not “getting any younger”, and ways to replace them had to be found.
Nyanda said he would soon be making specific proposals in this regard to Lekota.
Referring to the integration process of the former statutory and non-statutory forces into the SANDF, Lekota said this would formally end with the promulgation of the Integration Intake Process Bill, to be tabled during this session of Parliament.
Lekota reiterated that South Africa was willing to participate in international and regional peacekeeping missions, and said the country was ready to support peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
South African personnel are currently undergoing peacekeeping training in a number of countries.