Head of Corporate Communications, South African National Defence Force Maj-Gen Lungile Pepani, with CO 3CER Lt-Col Bill Sowry, inspects the 'Meerkat' mine clearence vehicle at Lavrack Barracks, Townsville. Photo by Cpl Ashley Roach, 1JPAU(P).

THE South African National Defence Force's Head of Corporate Communications made a flying visit to Australia recently to benchmark communication methods from the Defence point of view.

Maj-Gen Lungile Pepani said the SANDF benchmarked against the best and hoped that in future South Africa would become that benchmark.

"At this stage we are engaged in what I would term transformation of the country." he said

"We are a new defence force that came into existence in 1994, bringing together various armed forces from the revolution movement - we need to find out how you structure communication, how it is viewed strategically. It has been decided that communications is one of the most important functions during this transformation."

He said he was looking at all aspects of communication to use it as an instrument to reach out to the people and sensitise commanders to communicate with their personnel.

"I came to Australia to talk with my counterparts and see how they conduct their business so that we can take that forward.

Maj-Gen Pepani has seen many changes in his homeland since leaving university in 1976 to pursue the path that has led to democracy and freedom and the final destruction of the apartheid system that made South Africa a pariah.

He said his transition from medical student to freedom fighter to general in the SANDF was not unique, given the circumstances of South Africa's recent history and of apartheid.

"It was something that was common for people of my generation under the conditions that we grew up in. People left what they were doing - whether they were students, working, unemployed - people had no options before 1990 in South Africa.

"I was a medical student and had to abandon my studies because of the situation at that time. I became involved in student politics and was recruited into the underground of the ANC, then joined the ranks of Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1976 and since then I have never looked back."

Maj-Gen Pepani became a part of the army for liberation, receiving his training abroad - in Russia, Angola and the then Democratic Republic of Germany.

"I rose through the ranks of Umkhonto we Sizwe as a unit commander, instructor, as a commissar and of course subsequently after 1990 we integrated and I became the assistant to the chief of staff, who is now the chief of defence staff.

"After 1994 we went through the boards that were agreed to in the joint military and civilian co-ordinating structures at that time and initially I was given the rank of brigadier general. I was promoted in 1998 to become the head of Defence Force Communications and I have not looked back since."

Maj-Gen Pepani said the struggle against apartheid was long and hard.

"But of course I am an optimist by nature - very, very optimistic - and we knew that at the end justice would prevail. People fighting for a just cause will reach their objectives. It happened in Vietnam, where the people were facing a bigger enemy than apartheid.

"We in South Africa were almost the last in the decolonisation process, but South Africa has been able to learn the political and military lessons and has helped to steel us and make us stronger.

"We had the support of the international community - in the United Nations, apartheid was declared a crime against humanity. In spite of the hardships and difficulties the united people of South Africa have had Umkhonto we Sizwe, tested leadership in its Nelson Mandelas and Oliver Tambos and in our current President Mbeki, the trade union movement, students and the people - with a combination of all these, at some point the end of oppression had to come."

By Paul Cross