In the wake of the abolition of Apartheid, many narratives of fictional and non-fictional nature have been and continue to be published about the experiences of people serving in the military in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the most notable fictional works is André Carl Van Der Merwe’s "Moffie" (first edition published in 2006), which follows white closeted Nicholas Van Der Swart as he grows up in a conservative Christian household and is conscripted into the military at age 17. From the start, he hates the experience, describing it as being “thrown into hell [...] forced to kill people I don’t know, for a cause I don’t believe in”. Nearly thirty years later, now openly gay author and spokesman Siya Khumalo, who at the time was still in the closet, was one of many men of colour who joined the SANDF in an attempt to protect the new government that was claiming equal rights for gay people (2018). Both Van Der Merwe’s and Khumalo’s narrative are crucial to the understanding of the development in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments in South Africa during and post-Apartheid.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: The South African National Defence Force
2. Being gay in the Apartheid military: Legalised torture
3. Being gay in the post-Apartheid military: Prevailing ignorance
4. Conclusion
Works cited
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The research paper examines the transformation of experiences for gay soldiers in the South African military, contrasting the systemic state-sponsored abuse during the Apartheid era with the persistent social marginalization faced in the post-Apartheid period.
- The evolution of institutionalized discrimination within the South African Defence Force (SANDF).
- Medical and state-sanctioned "conversion" practices used against LGBTQ+ individuals during the 1970s and 1980s.
- The shift from legal, violent persecution to social prejudice and structural ignorance after 1994.
- Analysis of fictional and autobiographical narratives as primary testimonies of military experiences.
- The discrepancy between constitutional equal rights and the lived realities of queer service members.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction: The South African National Defence Force
In 1952, only four years after the beginning of the Apartheid regime, the South African National Defence Force (in the following referred to as SANDF) introduced mandatory military training as part of the government's increased militarization efforts in response to the United States declaring opposition to colonialism and France and Britain beginning to withdraw from their African colonies, leading to some African states gaining independence (Callister, 2007). The order was first executed via a drafting system, however, after the passing of the Defence Amendment Bill in 1967, a compulsory nine months of military service were required from every white South African male between the ages of 17 and 65 (Van Der Merwe, 2006; SAHO, 2020). This period was extended to twelve months in 1972 and later to 24 months in 1977, after South Africa's neighbouring states Angola and Mozambique gained independence (SAHA, 2022; SAHO, 2020). For eight years after completion of their service, soldiers were called back once a year for up to thirty days to participate in military camps, "as more manpower was required for the government's military campaigns" (Van Der Merwe, 2006, p. 7).
Contemporaries who underwent military conscription describe the overarching view of military service amongst white South Africans during the 1970s and 1980s as "a necessary social duty [as well as] an entirely natural male rite of passage" (Symons, 2016, p. 2). Military conscription was both rationalized and sugar coated, so that young boys would not grow up anxious at the thought of being conscribed (Symons, 2016).
On the basis of the Apartheid government's segregationist policies that favoured whites and suppressed non-white people, ridding everyone who was not "obviously white in appearance" of their rights and forcefully separating them from the "obviously white" part of the population, men of colour were neither conscripted nor allowed to voluntarily join the military (had they wished to do so; History.com Editors, 2020). Only after the fall of Apartheid in 1994, mandatory military service was abolished (Callister, 2007). Since then, voluntary military service is (theoretically) offered to all individuals above the age of 18, regardless of gender, skin colour and cultural background (Schwarz, 1996).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The South African National Defence Force: Provides the historical context of mandatory military service in South Africa and notes how the shift toward voluntary service followed the end of Apartheid.
2. Being gay in the Apartheid military: Legalised torture: Explores the brutal state-sponsored efforts to "cure" queer soldiers through chemical and shock therapy, using the novel Moffie as a narrative anchor.
3. Being gay in the post-Apartheid military: Prevailing ignorance: Examines how, despite constitutional protections, gay soldiers continue to face harassment and social exclusion in the contemporary military environment.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the contrast between the two historical periods, noting that while state-sanctioned violence has ended, meaningful institutional change remains incomplete.
Keywords
Apartheid, SANDF, LGBTQ+ rights, Military conscription, Conversion therapy, Ward 22, Siya Khumalo, Moffie, Van Der Merwe, Social exclusion, Human rights, South African military history, Queer experience, Institutionalized homophobia, Post-Apartheid governance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this research paper?
The paper aims to analyze how the treatment and societal acceptance of gay soldiers in the South African military shifted from institutionalized, legal state violence during Apartheid to persistent social prejudice and structural ignorance in the modern era.
Which central topics are explored regarding the Apartheid military?
The paper focuses on the compulsory conscription of white males, the creation of segregated policies that excluded non-white citizens, and the systematic use of psychological and physical "conversion" procedures targeting gay soldiers.
What is the core argument concerning the transition after 1994?
While the transition to democracy and the implementation of constitutional rights provided legal protection for gay people, the paper argues that these institutional changes have failed to eliminate the daily harassment and social stigma faced by queer members within the military.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The author uses a qualitative approach, analyzing literary representations and autobiographical works, specifically Moffie by André Carl Van Der Merwe and You Have to be Gay to Know God by Siya Khumalo, alongside historical documentation of human rights abuses.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It provides a comparative structure: the first part investigates the state-sanctioned "curing" of non-straight identities, while the second part contrasts this with the experiences of gay soldiers in the contemporary, post-Apartheid SANDF.
What are the characterizing keywords of the research?
Key terms include Apartheid, SANDF, conversion therapy, LGBTQ+ rights, institutionalized homophobia, and the intersection of military service and societal trauma.
What specific role did "Ward 22" play in the experiences of soldiers?
Ward 22, located at the Voortrekkerhoogte military hospital, was used as a facility for "curing" soldiers and civilians of their sexual orientation through methods like electroconvulsive therapy to force them into heteronormativity.
How does the experience of Siya Khumalo challenge the perception of post-Apartheid military life?
Khumalo's autobiography reveals that despite serving in a military that nominally respects constitutional rights, gay soldiers still encounter overt aggression and are constantly forced to keep their orientation hidden to avoid harassment.
- Quote paper
- Marie Will (Author), 2022, The gay experience of soldiers serving in the South African National Defence Force during and post-Apartheid. From legalised torture to prevailing ignorance, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1369014
