Well it is true that the South African National Defence Force(SANDF as it is now known) is now totally racially integrated.
This has happened to such an extent that it has become a bit of an obesession. There are persistant rumours of, for instance, pilots being passed even after failing tests three times, just to get the racial quotas right.
On the whole the SANDF is still the strongest, best equipped, best balanced force south of the Sahara. Even though countries such as Angola match South Africa and even surpasses them in terms of numbers of people and equipment, the effectiveness of their armed forces remain in severe doubt, due to lack of training and operational equipment.
The SANDF performs annual large scale training exercises. The largest of wich is Exercise Seboka(wich is Army led, albeit with air and naval components). The Navy and Air Force also conduct annual force preparation exercises.
It is during these exercises, I believe, that the best opinion can be formed on the capabilities of the current SANDF. Observing these exercises in recent times have led me to believe that the armed forces are still well trained and certainly capable. On February 01st 2008(Air Force Day) for instance a large scale exercise was held in Pretoria, at Air Force base Zwartkop(an urban area).
During this display a mass flypast was performed including transports and fast jets. Hereafter what must have been about 150 paratroops were air dropped from transports and flown in by about ten helicopters. Herculus C130BZ's also performed combat landings at the base and unloaded special forces while attack helicopters and combat aircraft screamed overhead in simulated attacks.
Planning and executing such a task, in an urban environment no less, could have been no easy task.
So to sum up, yes, there are real problems. Lack of discipline; accusations of a sexual nature against South African troops on peace keeping duties in Central Africa; lack of young, fit, healthy troops; HIV\AIDS in the ranks; lack of adequate funding(for the past decade!) etc.
However, despite all of this, there are a lot of dedicated individuals, whom are very competent and professional, in the ranks. (An SA Navy submarine 'sank' an entire NATO fleet in an exercise last year; this has been discussed at length on this forum in another thread)
Is the SANDF as capable as the 'old' South African Defence Force'(especially in land warfare)? Probably not. Are they today, just another African force of rabble militia? A defenite NO!!!
The truth lies somewhere in between...
