From defence to development

de Jacklyn Cock

For South Africa's transition to democracy to be successful, there needs to be a process of demilitarisation that involves a shifting of power and resources away from the defence force and the military establishment. Such a process has been under way since the early 1990s, but it has been uneven and fragile, with some contradictory outcomes such as the increasing emphasis on arms exports and the rise of banditry and armed criminal gangs. Now there is a need to go beyond a narrow conception of the process and focus instead on the redirection of military resources, both human and material, towards sustainable development and environmental restoration. As this book shows, such a focus would require redefining the notion of security to take into account the threats to peace caused by poverty and social dislocation; converting the defence industry to civilian production; reallocating defence expenditure; redeploying troops and retraining ex-combatants in development; projects and for environmental protection; and redistributing land previously used as military bases. For this to happen, there must be extensive public debate on defence and security issues and greater access to information and alternative perspectives. It is in this context that From Defence to Development seeks to make a real and lively contribution.