Defence conversion of South Africa: A faded ideal?

Defence conversion became a prominent issue on the international agenda with the idea that redundant military resources be converted for civilian use.

At the end of the Cold War, there was hope for peace, stability and an equitable distribution of resources that would benefit all people. With a global decrease in the commitment of gross national product for defence purposes, there was a stronger focus on human development rather than military power. The concept of defence conversion also became a prominent issue on the international agenda with the idea that the redundant military resources could now be converted for civilian use.

This demilitarisation, although partial, presented both opportunities and threats. On the positive side, there was hope of the ‘peace dividend’, the expectation that military resources would become available for civilian use and thereby contribute to human development. The downside to this process of demilitarisation, however, was the negative economic consequences for areas that were strongly dependent on defence industries or military bases: a situation comparable to economic decline in an area where a factory or a mine closes down.

About the author

Diane Abrahams (nee Philander) holds a BSc Hons (Geography) and MSc from the University of the Witwatersrand. She joined the ISS as a senior researcher and as the co-ordinator for the Security Sector Transformation Programme in March 2000. Diane was previously involved with capacity-building around defence conversion. She was particularly involved in the sphere of conversion of military land (base conversion). Diane is currently registered for a PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand. Some of the awards she holds include a Foundation for Research and Development Bursary, the Wilfred Orr Scholarship, the Centre for Scientific Development Bursary and the Mellon Scholarship