Abstract
Abstract The consolidation and sustainability of democracy in South African depends in part on how the new government deals with the legacy of thirty years of war and militarism in the region. The successful integration of ex-combatants is a crucial aspect of this challenge. Demobilisation in South Africa was divided into two distinct processes, known as ‘demobilisation’ and ‘rationalisation’. ‘Demobilisation’ narrowly refers to the release of members of APLA and MK who could not or were unwilling to join the SANDF while rationalisation refers to the downsizing of the integrated SANDF to levels appropriate to the reduced defence budget. This paper argues that while rationalisation was planned as part of the formation of the SANDF, the demobilisation of former APLA and MK soldiers was an afterthought and consequently, there was no planning for the reintegration of former APLA and MK soldiers into society. Further that this poses a threat of social and political disruption by former APLA and MK soldiers.
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