Abstract
Kanene: The untold stories of ‘unresolved’ psychological wounds of combat after South Africa’s demobilisation among Black SANDF soldiers highlights the profound experiences faced by Black South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who are suffering from the psychological effects of combat exposure. The book examines unresolved traumas and the lack of recognition for the sacrifices made by these soldiers. Dr. Sharon B. Sibanda provides insight into the contextual realities of SANDF soldiers by focusing on narratives that illuminate their inner and outer conflicts. Sibanda guides the reader on a journey, page by page, emphasising the resilience and enduring nature of the Black soldier. She attempts to offer a retrospective view on the traumas associated with the military transition period from the SADF (South African Defence Force) to the SANDF (South African National Defence Force), sparking intense realisations of a force that is forgotten.
Purpose of the book
As the book progresses through its chapters, the reader is invited to embark on a journey where military history is revisited through the contextual lens of the Black soldiers. Sibanda examines the narratives surrounding the pain and trauma experienced by Black soldiers. The book is particularly relevant given the current state of the SANDF, as well as the ‘strategic retreat’ of the SANDF from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2025 (South African Government News Agency, 2025). The exploration of trauma and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is supported by the literature. Sibanda takes great care in how the description of each participant’s unresolved psychological traumas reflects the turn in South Africa’s military–political history, shedding light on the aftermath of issues related to a lack of support and recognition. The most noticeable feature of the book is that it is well constructed according to the themes emanating from Sibanda’s doctoral research. The book appreciates the contextual realities of how the lived experiences of soldiers contribute to the understanding of symptoms related to PTSD and is a highly engaging text and questions how Western psychology, a blueprint often used to diagnose South African military members with PTSD, should expand its understanding of complex battlefield trauma. Sibanda goes further by subtly questioning how psychology is represented in the South African armed forces context, but what it does best is to illuminate concepts such as trauma and moral injury from an SANDF perspective.
Structure and content
The book offers an exploration of unresolved psychological wounds through nine engaging chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on the repercussions of political and social events that shaped the Black SANDF soldier post-demobilisation of the various armed forces and integration into the SANDF. The chapter explores the burden of unresolved trauma in an integrated military where the SADF and SANDF are highlighted as an institution that perpetuates the cycle of producing and inducing trauma, fuelling symptoms related to PTSD.
Chapter 2 delves into the meaning of Kanene and explores the deep cultural and contextual meanings attached to PTSD symptoms. The chapter draws attention to the challenges associated with coping with chronic trauma, along with the physical consequences of dealing with inner and outer conflict. The chapter explores a sub-theme of sleep disturbance and alcohol use as a coping strategy, as an exclamation mark to highlight the coping mechanisms and their disruptive effects on participants who have become battle-weary and tired.
Chapter 3 focuses on two main features that relate to the psychic functioning of the SANDF member but also on the psychic disintegration of members and how the demobilisation of the former armed forces contributed to a fractured organisation. The chapter discusses the harsh reality of members who are confronted with their own weakened inner coping strategies. The chapter does well in mapping out how maladaptive acceptance, coupled with significant distress, may contribute to traumatic stress and heightened cognitive dissonance, where members are left questioning how they may balance inner views and experiences with a newly established SANDF post-integration.
Chapter 4 engages with the cultural nuances associated with the notion of trauma and particularly highlights how trauma is experienced and understood from different contexts. The chapter focuses on the cultural sensitivity and factors that need to be considered when diagnosing members with PTSD. The author takes a balanced approach by offering contextual reasons for psychological defences as measures against external and internal threats.
Chapter 5 delves into the roots of relational trauma by examining the deepest, most painful aspects of where trauma resides: the self. The chapter explores how the weight of the struggle against oppression and childhood trauma feeds disconnection. The elements of trust and isolation take centre stage in this chapter; these explanations, offered by Sibanda, provide the reader with the reasons why the Black SANDF soldiers avoid emotional intimacy. The chapter concludes with a brief exploration of the complexities involved in forming human relationships.
Chapter 6 engages with the role of family and the emotional defence mechanisms created to safeguard against feelings of shame associated with not forming deeper familial connections. The chapter takes us on a psychological journey where the trauma-inducing battlefield has transitioned to the family space. Sibanda allows the reader to see all the consequences related to the hidden feelings of carrying the burden of trauma, allowing the reader to see the spectrum of collateral damage caused by trauma.
Chapter 7 examines the complexities of combat exposure and the significant impact unresolved trauma can have on Black SANDF soldiers. Sibanda draws on Honing et al. (1999) to describe how soldiers are experiencing persecutory anxieties that they need to defend against. Kernberg (2004) is used to show how longer-term PTSD may result in personality changes.
Chapter 8 explores the core of the unseen, where combat exposure and years of military service lead to significant psychological costs. The chapter focuses on the psychological cost of military service and psychosomatic symptoms that lead to the deterioration of the self and overall well-being. Sibanda explores previous work on the subject by providing a brief exploration of how feelings of shame and weakness are associated with a loss of vigour (Sibanda, 2020).
In Chapter 9, Sibanda addresses the issues of shame and stigma among SANDF soldiers who are struggling with undiagnosed, chronic CPTSD (Eagle, 2014). The chapter delves into the emotions of shame and anger, which serve as defence mechanisms to conceal their PTSD symptoms. Sibanda concludes by noting that Black soldiers have become detached from an organisation that should have provided support for integration and upheld values such as honour and duty.
Strengths of the book
One of the core features of Kanene is its use of participant narratives from Black SANDF soldiers, allowing readers to gain insight into how peace was negotiated through the integration of the SANDF. This approach provides a historical overview of social transformation and the consequences of a collapsed apartheid system. The methodological rigour associated with using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as a framework enhances the richness of the narratives analysed and discussed. Through engaging with the text, readers can glimpse how the soldiers perceive and respond to trauma. In addition, Kanene offers a platform for Black SANDF soldiers to ensure their stories are not forgotten. Sibanda also incorporates her personal reflections to provide context about the participants’ lived experiences, offering both a political and military perspective on how CPTSD manifests in soldiers.
Limitations of the book
From a racial classification perspective, Sibanda does not thoroughly examine what it means to be Black in the SANDF. The exclusion of the Coloured and Indian Corps as a historical component of the South African armed forces is not explored, which could have provided a deeper understanding of undiagnosed PTSD symptoms within this unique context. In addition, Sibanda does not fully explore why specifically Black SANDF soldiers were selected. In contrast, Sibanda clarifies the rationale behind the selection of participants operating in the SANDF as a source of exploring the wounds of trauma. However, the reasoning for including only one racial classification group remains an unresolved issue, especially considering that trauma is likely not experienced solely by one racial group. In addition, while the book does provide a glimpse into the afterlife of violence and trauma on the battlefield, very little is offered in narratives regarding aspects of hope and healing. While Kanene is a beacon of hope for research related to Black military history in the South African armed forces context, the thematic elements might be a challenging read for a non-military audience, since the experience and context of the study are focused on the armed forces context. While the strengths clearly outweigh the limitations, it is worth noting that Kanene is contextually located in the South African armed forces, and the use of psychological frameworks does not hinder the advancement of the conceptualisation of trauma through an African lens.
Conclusion and recommendations
Kanene is a significant contribution to the field of military psychology. The book is not focused on offering a guideline or strategy on how best to cope with continuous PTSD. However, Kanene targets two target audiences: psychological practitioners in the South African armed forces context and mental health care practitioners. The psychological practitioner has an opportunity to delve into the meaning of trauma for Black SANDF soldiers. Furthermore, Kanene also offers the military psychologist an opportunity to expand on existing psychotherapeutic models focused on integrative meaning-making of the painful experiences of SANDF soldiers who are experiencing CPTSD. Kanene emphasises that health care practitioners may benefit from programmes specifically designed to understand how unconscious defence mechanisms can impact SANDF members’ psychological, physical, and occupational presentation. Kanene’s effort to introduce a more Afrocentric approach to understanding complex trauma from the perspective of the South African armed forces is arguably its strongest aspect. Although this approach is somewhat limited in its integration with existing African theory and military studies, it remains relevant and significant. The inclusion of object relations theory as a lens established a foundation for the understanding of the manifestation of CPTSD in Black SANDF soldiers.
