Non military national service for objectors

A Defence Amendment Bill provides for an alternative form of national service for conscientious objectors who oppose military service on religious grounds. The offer is not extended to objectors motivated by political values. The number of conscientious objectors to conscription rose steadily after South African invasions into Angola that cost the lives of many South African soldiers and as internal political perception of the war shifted. The Amendment Bill was introduced and a Board for Religious Objection was set up to examine cases of religious objectors. Alternative forms of service included the following: non-combatant service in the South African Defence Force (SADF), for the same time period as normal military service; non-combatant service in the SADF in non-military uniform, for a period one-and-a-half times as long as normal service; or community service, usually in a state department, for one-and-a-half times the length of normal service. This could amount to 6 years of compulsory community service. Those who refused to serve for reasons other than religion could be sentenced to jail for up to 6 years.