South African Military Academy Research Articles

Food wastage management at the South African Military Academy officer’s mess

lobally, an estimated one-third of the total of food produced for human consumption is never consumed. This affects food security. South Africa has obligations to meet international commitments to reduce food wastage. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 aims to reduce food loss through wastage by 30 per cent by 2030. To contribute to the achievement of this goal, South Africa has to formulate policies to reduce food loss to achieve national food security. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF), as an organ of the state, should align with national policies aimed at reducing food loss and waste. The current study was conducted at the South African Military Academy (SAMA), an institution of higher learning for SANDF members. The institution has a catering facility that serves approximately 350 resident students and other living-in members375 daily. To date, no research has been done on food wastage management either in the broader SANDF or at this institution. This lack of information and analysis on food wastage management in the military in South Africa prompted the current research. The study analysed food wastage management at the SAMA mess to identify the level of knowledge and skills of SAMA officers’ mess personnel regarding the status of food wastage and best management practices. Through this qualitative study, online semi-structured interviews, using Microsoft Teams, were utilised to collect data from SAMA mess personnel. The findings revealed that there are set measures in place at the SAMA mess for managing food wastage, such as booking meals in advance and being able to repurpose food. The participants also indicated that most SAMA chefs are trained in food wastage management and possess the necessary skills to reduce food wastage in the mess; yet, not optimally so. Recommendations from this research are that more and improved training of personnel, as well as awareness programmes among mess staff and SAMA students would further reduce food wastage. Implementing such food wastage management measures would benefit the SAMA and the SANDF, and would contribute to national food wastage management and the realisation of the United Nations SDG 12.3. Keywords: Food security, food wastage, food wastage management, South African Military Academy, semi-structured interviews

Curriculum alignment at undergraduate level: military geography at the South African Military Academy

ABSTRACT The importance of Military Geography in the curricula of military academies cannot be overemphasized, because geography plays a significant role during military operations of any nature. Military Geography encompasses various social science sub-fields, among others political science, military history, military strategy and military intelligence. It should therefore be recognized as a force multiplier in terms of educating military students and as a research avenue by both military academic and military training professionals. Military Geography as a subject should not focus exclusively on the theory of geography with potential military operational application. It should much rather train soldier-academics to conform to a country’s military doctrine for using geospatial information. This study evaluated the geography curricula of two military academies, abroad and in Africa, and one extra-continental civilian tertiary institution to identify generic elements needed in a fit for purpose Military Geography curriculum. The undergraduate Military Geography curriculum at the South African Military Academy was then assessed against their addressing these generic elements. Three limitations in the Military Geography curriculum were identified, namely inadequate Urban Geography coverage, lack of practical GIS and remote sensing application, and lack of accreditation credits to professional GIS bodies. Solutions were proposed to address the limitations.

Applying game-based learning at the South African Military Academy: an experimental study

The contemporary military environment is characterised by new technologies, advances in computer usage, and a generation of young students who have the expectation that the use of technology within education will increase over the next few years. Research suggests games within education to be a feasible solution for positively supplementing traditional teaching practices, making learning more interactive and enjoyable. Despite this, there is mixed empirical support for the successful use thereof. The aim of this study was to investigate if using Game-Based Learning (GBL) compared to traditional teaching methods when teaching JavaScript to undergraduate Computer Information Systems (CIS) students at the South African Military Academy (MA), would result in statistically significant higher learning gains. A research experiment was conducted to investigate this aim using a sample of 47 (n = 47) residential students. Participants were tested on their JavaScript knowledge using a pre- and post-test experimental design. The variables and results in learning gains from the two experimental groupings showed no significant statistical difference, but significant learning gains resulted when compared to the control group.

Applying game-based learning at the South African Military Academy: an experimental study

Applying game-based learning at the South African Military Academy: an experimental study

DISPARITY: THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY TO DISTANCE EDUCATION THROUGHPUT AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY ACADEMY

Improved student throughput remains on the South African Higher Education (HE) priority list. To achieve greater throughput, all institutions of higher learning need to contribute. The South African Military Academy offers distance education (DE) programmes to employees of the South African Department of Defence (DoD). Its distance education (DE) programme, earmarked to become the main HE provider to the DoD, compared to its residential programmes, displays poor throughput. Poor DE throughput contradicts recent advances in educational technologies which provide a range of mitigation and support opportunities through the creation of learning spaces that mediate successful student learning anytime anywhere. This article contributes to the body of knowledge on firstly the disparate profile of Military Academy DE students, and secondly, their disparate access to learning technologies in their working and learning spaces. A survey among DE undergraduates and DE lecturers revealed disparity among respective DE students’ HE-related demographics, and disparity in their access to learning technologies (LT). Resolving disparity in access to LT can mitigate demographic disparity to promote graduate throughput.

Measuring financial literacy: Developing and testing a measurement instrument with a selected group of South African military officers

Are South Africans financially literate, and how can this be measured? Until 2009 there was no South African financial literacy measure and, therefore, the aim was to develop a South African measurement instrument that is scientific, socially acceptable, valid and reliable. To achieve this aim a contextual and conceptual analysis of financial literacy that indicated the importance of financial literacy, the scope and impact of financial literacy education, and uncovered an acceptable financial literacy definition and its constituent concepts, was applied. A rigorous five-step process was then followed in developing a questionnaire that measures financial literacy knowledge, behaviour and attitude. This draft questionnaire was applied at the South African Military Academy (SAMA) to firstly determine and improve its validity and reliability, and secondly to measure the financial literacy levels of school leavers. Experts and users found this measurement instrument to be valid, and internal consistency levels of above .7 registered its reliability. On average the first-year SAMA students achieved scores of 55.55%, 69.85%, and 77.11% for financial literacy knowledge, behaviour and attitude. As a result it is postulated that there is now a scientific and socially relevant, valid and reliable South African financial literacy measurement instrument available.

Stress and Change in the Military Profession Attitudes of Officer Students at the South African Military Academy

In this paper it is illustrated that there is a decline in the commitment to altruistic values if one analyses the survey data of junior officers among all four arms of service at the South African Military Academy. The results show a clear drift towards occupationalism as outlined by Moskos (1977) if the reasons for joining, preferred job characteristics, commitment to selfless service and the need for a representative association are analysed. This trend towards occupationalism could be ascribed to the decline in status and relevance of the armed forces in society, coupled to organisational change, which in placing the military profession under considerable stress in this current period of transition. Some implications of these trends for the military profession are discussed.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MILITARY ACADEMY'S EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS AND THE NATIONAL THREAT PERCEPTION

The national threat perception of a nation is an important guideline for the education of its officers, since it defines or anticipates the general military and socio-political milieu in which those officers must be prepared to operate. This paper traces the evolution of the threat perception of the South African Department of Defence since 1950 and the response of the South African Military Academy in terms of its educational programmes. It highlights the attitude of Defence Headquarters towards the Military Academy as a military-academic institution and the historical position of the Academy in the course of officer development. The paper also investigates the number and demographic profile of students routed through the Military Academy, which is central to these issues. Today, in the wake of the termination of the so-called Bush War on her borders and the liberation struggle within her frontiers, there is no clear, direct military threat against South Africa. In the absence of such a threat, the secondary functions of the SANDF, particularly regional peacekeeping and peace support operations, seem to occupy the centre stage. The paper therefore concludes with a perspective on the relevance of the Military Academy’s current academic offerings to the preparation of SANDF officers for their perceived role scenario in the twenty-first century.

Change, organisational culture and the development of the South African Military Academy to 2009

This article investigates the impact of change and organisational culture on the growth and development of the South African Military Academy. It explores the impact of Nationalist Party rule since 1948 and black majority rule since 1994 on the institutional culture of the South African military and how that influenced the development of the Military Academy. This is intertwined with an investigation of the nature and impact of the diverging military and academic subcultures at the Academy. The article contends that, together with the historical exclusion of blacks and women from the military, the marginalisation of white English-speaking citizens by Nationalist Party rule denied the Academy the exploitation of a significant portion of the country’s human resource potential in the interest of institutional development. The same happened with the introduction of racial quotas and the marginalisation of whites since 1994. The Military Academy has, furthermore, historically been too reflective of the organisational culture of the South African National Defence Force and its predecessors instead of informing that culture to meet the challenges of military professionalism. The Academy has a potentially vital educational role to play in the South African and Sub-Saharan African militaries, but requires some changes in its organisational culture to fulfil that mission.Keywords: South African Military Academy, organisational culture, military culture, military education, Stellenbosch UniversityDisciplines: Military History, Industrial Psychology

CIVILIAN-MILITARY INTERACTION ON THE MATIE CAMPUS: THE ‘BATTLE OF WILGENHOF’, 1957

The South African Military Academy was established in 1950 as a branch of the SA Military College, under the academic auspices of the University of Pretoria. A mere three years later, in 1953, the Union Defence Force decided to relocate the Academy to Saldanha and to establish it as an independent military unit under the wings of Stellenbosch University. The relocation process took place during 1955/1956, shortly after construction of the Academy buildings at Saldanha had started. As a result, Stellenbosch University agreed to accommodate the Academy staff and students on the mother campus until the facilities at Saldanha were completed. However, not all civilian students welcomed the military students on the Matie campus, which culminated in the so-called ‘Battle of Wilgenhof’ in 1957. This article investigates the origins, extent, outcome and consequences of the conflict between military and civilian students on the campus of Stellenbosch University in the mid-1950s. It contends that the conflict was rooted in cultural rather than political differences, that the antagonism towards the military students was in essence restricted to the residents of Wilgenhof and that the ‘Battle of Wilgenhof’ had no lasting impact on the interaction between military and civilian students at Stellenbosch University.

Shaping the Environmental Attitude of Military Geography Students at the South African Military Academy

Globally there is a growing environmental awareness among all segments of society, but research on the effect of environmental education in shaping the attitude of military students is lacking. Tertiary environmental education to officers of the South African Department of Defence is seated in the Department of Military Geography at the South African Military Academy. A structured questionnaire was used in 2002 and 2005 to determine whether a difference in attitude towards environmental issues between geography and non-geography students could be found at the South African Military Academy (Stellenbosch University). The military geography students outperformed their non-geography peers in both surveys.

Officer Education at the South African Military Academy

This article reviews the status of military sociology in South Africa by examining where it is being taught and researched within sociology as a discipline and at the South African Military Academy (hereafter, Academy). The conclusion is reached that it has not been a prominent area of academic focus possibly because of the fact that at present only one civilian university's sociology department presents a related course. Looking at the historic development of the academic offerings at the Academy, at no time has military sociology been presented as a course, although it is masked within some of the other social science disciplines. Only recently has the relevance of military sociology as a discipline in its own right been acknowledged, and it appears as if it may well find a place in the education of young officers at the Academy in the near future.

Economics and Security Studies: Is the South African Military Academy Still on Track?

Economics and Security Studies: Is the South African Military Academy Still on Track?

MILITARY GEOGRAPHY IN SOUTH AFRICA AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY

ABSTRACT There is a long standing relationship between geography and the military. Military geography can be defined as the study of the human-environment interaction and its influence on strategic and tactical military planning and activities. In the International arena it enjoys recognition as a formal sub-discipline with its own speciality group within the Association of American Geographers. In South Africa, military geography dates back to the Anglo Boer War, and became more popular during World War II when its value as an instrument was recognised by military practitioners. Terrain was analysed and targets identified by means of air photo interpretation, and maps were made of the operational front. The need for, and importance of military geography education culminated in the establishment of it as a subject at the South African Military Academy from 1958. The start of the Angola bush war in 1965 led to a steady incline of military geography as maps were urgently needed of an unknown country. Military bases, airfields and roads had to be built, but most important of all, was the dire need for information about the tactical terrain utilised as battlefields. Contemporary military geography also emphasises the importance of environmentally responsible defence as the South African Defence Force has the legal responsibility to effectively manage and sustain its military bases and training areas. Military geography forms an important combination of various sub-disciplines and applications of geography, and challenges the practitioner to use geographic skills to solve military problems of a geographical nature. This paper gives an explanation of how military geography is practised and applied in the South African context.

British Influence on Military Training and Education in South Africa: The Case of the South African Military Academy and its Predecessors

(2002). British Influence on Military Training and Education in South Africa: The Case of the South African Military Academy and its Predecessors. South African Historical Journal: Vol. 46, No. 1, pp. 63-82.

Image and identity in military education: A perspective on the South African Military Academy

Abstract Scrutinising primarily unpublished, archival sources, this study examines, from an historical perspective, the image and identity of the South African Military Academy to determine to what extent that image and identity was and still is conducive to military education in South Africa in particular and the African continent in general. It argues that the Military Academy has historically struggled to establish a credible image and identity in the eyes of the military and that it was often at odds with the expectations of the Defence Force. The study also indicates how, given South Africa's former race and gender policies, the Military Academy functioned for four decades as a de facto white, male, Afrikaans-speaking military-academic institution. It highlights the Military Academy's concerted effort from the early nineties, in anticipation of the new political dispensation, to change its identity in terms of language, race and gender. It concludes that this, coupled with the introduction of a serie...

Adjusting to Peace: Military Values in a Cross-National Comparison

Cadets at military academies represent an elite group of junior officers destined to fill the top posts in their respective armed forces and set the future standards of professional behavior. But in an era where the military profession is undergoing tremendous change as a result of a shifting mission requirements-from conventional warfare to peacekeeping and humanitarian aid-how committed are young officers to their future careers and involvement in such missions? To what extent does military socialization shape this commitment? Our research, comparing the attitudes and values of cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point to those of student officers at the South African Military Academy (SAMA) at Saldanha, indicates that the values and long-term commitment of officers to their respective armed forces are directly influenced by both military socialization and reinforcement of those values by the broader society.