HEADLINE:   Conscription not being considered

PUBLICATION: Cape Times  

PAGE NUMBER: 5

AUTHOR:     Zubeida Jaffer;  Group Parliamentary Editor

DATE:       2000-10-05 11:08:55

Conscription not being considered

MILITARY conscription is not on the cards Ñ but voluntary national service for young men and women is a strong possibility.

The Department of Defence is examining different scenarios to build-up a part-time force, said Deputy Defence Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge.

"The principle upon which we are working is that it will not be compulsory," she said.

Madlala-Routledge said voluntary national service would enable young people to acquire skills.

"This will allow them to be involved in some kind of organised, disciplined activity which may lead them to choose a career with the defence force."

She denied that conscription was being considered by the ministry and said the need to create a part-time force was within the parameters of the Defence Review and the White Paper on Defence.

This policy framework required the setting-up of a small but professional full-time force which could be rapidly expanded when the need arose. This had been accomplished with the rationalised force. The next stage was to consider how to recruit for a part-time force, she said.

Madlala-Routledge will speak in Parliament today when both houses jointly honour the peace-time role of the South African National Defence Force.

About 120 of the top military brass will be in the House today to receive a special award from Parliament.

The training in a disciplined environment will cover a range of skills more suited to peace-time conditions, she said.