Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will officially open the Civil Military Relations Conference under the auspices of the Defence Force Service Commission. The two-day conference will be held under the theme "Bridging The Gap: Advancing Military Relations to Deepen Democracy”.

Given the role that the military played during Apartheid, the adoption of the Constitution in 1996 was, inter alia, intended to redefine the historical role of the military and introduce a new era of civilian oversight. This was achieved by making a provision for a civilian secretariat in the Constitution. 20 years later, it is time to take stock of the state of civilian and military relations in an effort to celebrate achievements, identify shortcomings and deliberate on effective ways to address deficiencies.

The Defence Force Service Commission

The commission was appointed as a result of amendments made to the Defence Act in 2010. Part of the mandate of the commission is to advise the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on aspects of conditions of employment.

During its wide-ranging engagements, the commission unearthed a number of factors affecting the civilian-military relationship, both positively and negatively.

In light of the above, a decision was made to convene a two-day conference in order to bring together role players as well as to ventilate on all matters of interest pertaining to the work of members in the defence force. The conference will also be attended by representatives from neighbouring countries who will share their experiences and valuable lessons.
Media is invited to the opening ceremony as follows:

Date:              27 October 2016
Time:             08h00
Venue:           Ruby Room, CSIR International Convention Centre, Meiring Naude Road, Pretoria

Enquiries: Joy Nonzukiso Peters on 082 990 0407