South Mrican Civil-Military Relations in Transition: Issues and Influences

Abstract

One of the crucial elements of democratization efforts currently under way in South Africa is the establishment of a democratic pattern of civil-military relations. The important issues in this transition process are control and composition of a future South African armed forces. Influential variables that have an impact on this process are military professionalism, the corporate interests of the armed forces, the threat of violence, the method of democratization, and support for reform both within the military and in the larger society. This article outlines the political interaction of actors and influences in an effort to increase our understanding of this essential component of democratization.