SA military integration is disputed

The transition in the South African Defence Force (later SANDF) was not achieved without difficulties. It came to the surface that a dispute ensued between British military advisers and the commanders of the SANDF over the integration process. The British advisers accused the SANDF of delaying the integration of former guerrillas into its ranks. The situation prompted the exchange of correspondence between the British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) and army chief Lt.-Gen. Reginald Otto to be tabled before the committee on defence in parliament. The exchanges ensued after a report by the BMATT that integration had moved down the SANDF's order of priorities. The BMATT further accused the SANDF of not recognising the presence of the non-statutory forces (former guerrillas) in the army's physical institutions such as flags, symbols and traditions.