PUBLICATION: Star

PAGE NUMBER:

AUTHOR:     Zubeida Jaffer

DATE:         2000-10-05 07:21:35

Compulsory service out, but voluntary youth force mooted

Cape Town - Military conscription is not on the cards, but voluntary national service for both young men and women is a strong possibility.

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

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

In an interview, Madlala-Routledge said voluntary national service would create the opportunity for young people to be trained and obtain skills.

"There are many young people who come out of school and have not made up their minds about what they want to do. 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 earlier suggestions that compulsory military conscription was being considered within 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 can be expanded rapidly when the need arises. The next stage was to consider how to recruit for a part-time force, Madlala-Routledge said.

She expects  there to be a series of discussions with structures such as the Youth Commission to consider the benefit of national service to young people.

Madlala-Routledge was due to speak in Parliament today, when both houses will honour the SANDF's peace-time role.