As long ago as 1700, when the Cape of Good Hope was still a small settlement ruled by the Dutch East India Company, Coloureds were subject to the same military duties as Europeans. It was, however, a foreign war that caused the establishment of the first Pandour regiment in 1781. They comprised a force under white officers that fought against the British prior to the occupation of the Cape in 1795. Between the years 1795-1803 the British employed Coloured soldiers; they became known as the Cape Corps after the second British occupation in 1806. During the first period of British rule Coloured soldiers received a weekly pay of sixpence (sterling) to buy tobacco and were entitled to the same rations and drinks as British troops. During the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) Coloureds were used on both sides as drivers, servants and scouts
This historical review of the role of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force since 1912 is by the author's own admission, not an unbroken saga of continuous events. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the post of Inspector General had been abolished (and created) on several occasions. In view of this it is perhaps understandable that from a diachronical viewpoint, opinions on the role and status of the Inspector General will differ. The aim of this article is to review the aspect of semantics within a historical framework and the author bases his arguments on the premise that the post of the Inspector General is to a large extent influenced by evolutionary change within the organizational framework. It is also claimed that the history of the Inspector General in the South African Defence Force should not be viewed in isolation and in this regard note is taken of the role played by the Inspector General in the forces of Britain (origins) and the United States (currently). The move away from the traditional centralized Inspector General towards a decentralized system which makes provision for Inspectors General allocated to the respective arms of service, is seen as a normal development in the evolutionary process which will contribute towards improved efficiency
Whereas students of Political Science may not be in total agreement with all the views presented in this article dealing with the role of military factors in the drafting of neutrality as defence policy, it must be clearly understood that this is not a mere recital of old truths, but represents a totally new and different approach to the subject and should be perused as such by the readers
South Africa's first military involvement in South West Africa took place during the early part of World War I when, following a request from Britain, an expeditionary force of 67,000 men was mobilised which led to the capture of the territory from Germany. Some minor actions followed in the intervening years but the first infiltration by SWAPO occurred during 1966 but was contained by police action. However by 1973 terrorist activity had increased to the extent that the South African Defence Force was obliged to take over this counterinsurgency role. The extensive border with Southern Angola which included terrain favourable for terrorist activity forced the RSA to take preventative measures. As a result a series of semi conventional operations were launched against SWAPO bases in Southern Angola. This article describes the various operations that were launched during the ensuing period until 1988 and which led eventually to discussions between South Africa, Cuba and the MPLA to cease hostilities. This settlement plan made provision for the implementation of Resolution 435 and the withdrawal of Cuban forces from Angola.
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