Image and identity in military education: A perspective on the South African Military Academy

Abstract

Scrutinising primarily unpublished, archival sources, this study examines, from an historical perspective, the image and identity of the South African Military Academy to determine to what extent that image and identity was and still is conducive to military education in South Africa in particular and the African continent in general. It argues that the Military Academy has historically struggled to establish a credible image and identity in the eyes of the military and that it was often at odds with the expectations of the Defence Force. The study also indicates how, given South Africa's former race and gender policies, the Military Academy functioned for four decades as a de facto white, male, Afrikaans-speaking military-academic institution. It highlights the Military Academy's concerted effort from the early nineties, in anticipation of the new political dispensation, to change its identity in terms of language, race and gender. It concludes that this, coupled with the introduction of a series of new needs-driven military-academic programmes, greatly enhanced the image and credibility of the Academy and placed it in a favourable position to play an indispensable role in the education of SANDF officers. Furthermore, as the only institution of its kind in war-torn Sub-Saharan Africa, it is argued that the Academy is well positioned to make a meaningful contribution to military professionalism on the continent and to further the goals of the African Renaissance.