Personnel
The South African Army is composed of roughly 30,500 regular uniformed personnel, augmented by 4,500 civilians. The rank/age structure of the army that deteriorated desperately during the 1990s is greatly improving through the Military Skills Development (MSDS) voluntary national service system. Through this system, young healthy members are being inducted into the regular and reserve forces every year.
Due to the restructuring of the Reserves, the exact number of reserves is difficult to ascertain. However Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota in his 2007 budget speech to the National Assembly indicated there currently are roughly 11,000 reserve force members in the army regular reserve.
There were several thousand other members in the army territorial reserve (South African Commando System). Each Commando was responsible for the safeguarding and protection of a specific community (both rural or urban). However, this system was phased out between 2003 and 2008 "because of the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula. The last commando unit, that at Harrismith in the Free State, was disbanded in March 2008.
South African military ranks are derived from that of the British Armed Forces, with Army ranks derived from the British Army.
Read more about this topic: South African Army
Famous quotes containing the word personnel:
“This woman is headstrong, obstinate and dangerously self- opinionated.”
—Report by Personnel Officer at I.C.I., rejecting Mrs. Thatcher for a job in 1948.