Comments on: Can the SANDF fight its way out of a paper bag? Maybe http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/11/19/can-the-sandf-fight-its-way-out-of-a-paper-bag-maybe/ Politics. News. New media. Old media. Mon, 21 May 2012 10:08:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: General Electric http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/11/19/can-the-sandf-fight-its-way-out-of-a-paper-bag-maybe/comment-page-1/#comment-20087 General Electric Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:43:07 +0000 http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/?p=3027#comment-20087 Spot on. Remember how the SANDF covered itself in glory during the invasion of Lesotho? This demoralised military is barely fit to march in street parades, let alone handle peacekeeping duties on the continent. Spot on. Remember how the SANDF covered itself in glory during the invasion of Lesotho?
This demoralised military is barely fit to march in street parades, let alone handle peacekeeping duties on the continent.

]]> By: Ian Doha http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/2009/11/19/can-the-sandf-fight-its-way-out-of-a-paper-bag-maybe/comment-page-1/#comment-20086 Ian Doha Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:09:16 +0000 http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/hartley/?p=3027#comment-20086 The problem goes much deeper than this. To a large extent the state of the SAND is symptomatic of the country at large. People everywhere are disgruntled. People everywhere are demoralised. I commented on the state of the SANDF in the other article in today's paper. No need to repeat. The general inability of (the people in) the State to govern properly, fairly and without discrimination (racial or otherwise) is starting to take its toll on the populace at large. People feel inherently unsafe, and it does not relate to crime only. We feel unsafe about our future, our jobs, our country, our familites. It is as if everything in this country is poised on a knife's edge. We are insecure, and as Buzan stated in his well-known book on the subject: "There can be no talk of national security in the face or personal insecurity." Enter the SANDF that has to contribute to national security. This has to be close to the final nail in the coffin. If the guarrantors of our safety then feel this way, what hope for us mere mortals? I was a military man for 20 years. There is absolutely no comparison between the SADF and SANDF ito capability, discipline, morale, leadership, sense of purpose, etc. Add this last bit of depressing news to a country that is going through issues with SABC, Escom, Armscor, local government inabilities, Aids, ASA, and - hell! Someone give me a blunt knife! The problem goes much deeper than this.

To a large extent the state of the SAND is symptomatic of the country at large. People everywhere are disgruntled. People everywhere are demoralised.

I commented on the state of the SANDF in the other article in today’s paper. No need to repeat.

The general inability of (the people in) the State to govern properly, fairly and without discrimination (racial or otherwise) is starting to take its toll on the populace at large. People feel inherently unsafe, and it does not relate to crime only. We feel unsafe about our future, our jobs, our country, our familites. It is as if everything in this country is poised on a knife’s edge. We are insecure, and as Buzan stated in his well-known book on the subject: “There can be no talk of national security in the face or personal insecurity.” Enter the SANDF that has to contribute to national security.

This has to be close to the final nail in the coffin. If the guarrantors of our safety then feel this way, what hope for us mere mortals? I was a military man for 20 years. There is absolutely no comparison between the SADF and SANDF ito capability, discipline, morale, leadership, sense of purpose, etc.

Add this last bit of depressing news to a country that is going through issues with SABC, Escom, Armscor, local government inabilities, Aids, ASA, and – hell! Someone give me a blunt knife!

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