Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has the world’s highest adult HIV infection rate in the world. Experts
estimate that over 1 500 people are being infected with the HIV virus per day in
South Africa. The virus is undoubtedly having a negative impact on the labour
population of the country and will ultimately affect the productivity of South Africa.
The Constitution of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996, firmly denounces any form of
unfair discrimination. The White Paper on Defence charges the South African
National Defence Force (SANDF) to be an operationally ready force.
The potentially crippling effect HIV and AIDS can have on the effectiveness of
SANDF is an area that needs to be researched. The military environment is
unique in that it is considered to be a high-risk organisation in terms of HIV
infection. Overseas deployment, male-dominated environments, risk-taking
ethos and monthly income are all elements that accelerate the spread of HIV
within the SANDF. The SANDF is a dominant member of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and is involved in Peace Support Operations
(PSO) throughout the African continent. This military intervention is predicted to
increase with time. HIV in sub-Saharan Africa has infected over 30 million
people – many with little or no primary health care.
The South African coastline is nearly 3 000km in length with six world-class
harbours. These are strategic points that contribute to South Africa’s economic
prosperity on the African continent. It is the SA Navy’s role to ensure that these
harbours are well-guarded. The personnel responsible for patrolling the waters of
the South African coastline need to be exposed to the proper training to be
competent at this task.
Military training needs to prepare learners in the event of combat. This
simulation of the combat environment may lead to injuries that heighten the
threat of HIV transmission. SANDF training units traditionally discharge those members who are medically unable to complete the mental and physical
requirements of the course. The Military Training for Officers Part One (MTO1)
course of the SA Navy is no different. HIV has created a new dynamic in that
medical confidentiality protects the status of those people who are infected.
Current SANDF policy does not offer sufficient guidelines to training units when
dealing with learners who are infected with HIV. Human rights are
constitutionally protected and unfair discrimination of any form is prohibited. The
SANDF still needs to be operationally deployable and uniform members with HIV
hinder this requirement. The question really is: is it fair discrimination to
disallow/remove uniform members from the MTO1 course if they are HIV
positive?
The purpose of this research is to establish what the best practises would be in
managing HIV positive learners in the military training environment. The work
environment would have to be researched to determine whether or not the threat
of HIV transmission exists. Learners would be approached to determine if they
felt they were at risk during training exercises. The training staff who execute the
training exercises would need to be asked if they felt endangered or exposed to
HIV infection during these exercises. Military medical personnel who deal with
either training or HIV in their everyday jobs would then review this data.
The social stigma surrounding HIV is one of the challenges within this research
design. The ethics and legality of mandatory HIV testing in the SANDF is an
area that has sparked reaction from human rights movements. The
compromising of human rights for the sake national security is an area of
proportionality that raises new debates with the advent of HIV.
There are various alternatives of managing HIV within the SANDF that should be
considered. The current SANDF HIV policy is, at best, vague when dealing with
specific training issues. This research intends on making policy-makers within the SANDF aware of the need to make definitive policy decisions to ensure that
HIV does not compromise the effectiveness of the SANDF. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoogste volwasse HIV infeksie in die wêreld, kom tans in Suid Afrika voor.
Deskundiges is van mening dat daar daagliks in Suid Afrika meer as 1500 mense
met die virus besmet word. Die virus het ‘n definitiewe negatiewe impak op die
Suid Afrikaanse arbeidsmark, en sal onomwonde die produktiwiteit van Suid
Afrika beinvloed. Die Suid Afrikaanse Grondwet, Wet 108 van 1996 verbied
onomwende enige vorm van onbillike diskriminasie. Die Witskrif ten opsigte van
Verdediging verwag van die Suid Afrikaanse Nasionale Weermag (SANW) om 'n
operasioneel voorbereide mag te wees.
Die potensiële krippelende effek wat HIV/VIGS op die effektiwiteit van die SANW
kan hê is ‘n area wat indiringende navorsing benodig. Die militere omgewing is
uniek in die opsig dat dit beskou word as ‘n hoë risisko organisasie in terme van
HIV infeksie. Internationale ontplooiings, manlik-georiënteerde omgewings,
risiko-bepalende faktore, en maandelikse inkomste is almal elemente wat die
verspreiding van HIV binne die SANW verhoog. Die SANW is die dominante lid
van die Suider Afrikaanse Ontwikkelings Gemeenskap en is betrokke in vredes
ondersteunnings operasies binne Afrika. Die word in die vooruitsig gesien dat
die bogenoemde intervensies met tyd sal toeneem. In die Sub-Saharastreek het
die HIV virus reeds 30 miljoen mense geïnfekteer – baie met min, of geen
primêre gesondheidsorg tot hul beskikking.
Die Suid Afrikaanse kuslyn is bykans 3 000 km in lengte, met ses wereldstandaard
hawens, geleë langs die kuslyn. Laasgenoemde is strategiese punte
wat bydra tot die ekonomiese vooruitgang binne die Afrika kontinent. Dit is die
SA Vloot se verantwoordelikheid om toe te sien dat die hawens goed bewaak
word. Die personeel verantwoordelik vir die patrolering van die waters langs die
Suid Afrikaanse kuslyn moet blootstelling kry aan voldoende opleiding om die
taak te kan verrig. Militêre opleiding moet leerders voorberei vir die moontlikheid van konflik.
Hierdie simulering van die gevegs/konflik omgewing mag lei tot beserings wat
die risiko ten opsigte van HIV verspreiding mag verhoog. Die SANW
opleidingseenhede, het tradisioneel lede ontslaan wat nie aan die fisiese en
geestelike vereistes van die kursus kon voldoen nie. Die Militêre opleiding vir
Offisiere Deel Een kursus (MOO1) binne die SA Vloot is presies dieselfde. HIV
het ‘n nuwe dinamika veroorsaak naamlik, mediese vertroulikheid, wat die status
van geaffekteerde lede beskerm. Huidige SANW beleid verskaf onvoldoende
riglyne aan opleidingseenhede vir die hantering van leerders wat die HIV virus
onder hande het. Mense-regte word konstitusioneel beskerm en enige vorm van
diskriminasie word verbied. Daar word egter steeds van die SANW verwag om
operasioneel ontplooibaar te wees, en uniform lede met HIV verhinder hierdie
bepaling. Die vraag is: Is dit billike diskriminasie om lede wat HIV positief is van
die MOO1 kursus te verwyder?
Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om te bepaal wat die beste praktyke sou wees
in die bestuur van HIV-positiewe leerders in die militêre opleidings omgewing.
Die werksomgewing sal nagevors moet word om te bepaal of die bedreiging van
HIV-verspreiding bestaan aldan nie. Leerders sal genader moet word om te
bepaal of hul ter eniger tyd gedurende opleidingsoefeninge gevoel het dat die
risisko van blootstelling te hoog was. Die opleidings staflede wat die opleidings
oefeninge oorsien sal gevra moet word of hul ter enige tyd bedreig of blootgestel
gevoel het tot HIV infeksie. Militêre mediese personeel wat daagliks met
opleiding of deur middel van hul daaglikse werk met HIV te doen het sal die data
hersien.
Die sosiale stigma ten opsigte van HIV-toetsing is een van die uitdagings binne
hierdie navorsings onderwerp. Die etiek en regsgeldigheid van verpligte HIVtoetsing
binne die SANW is ‘n area wat geweldige reakise ontlok het van
menseresgte bewegings. Die kompromittering van menseregte ten gunste van nasionale sekuriteit is ‘n area van proportionaliteit wat nuwe debatering openbaar
in die koms van HIV.
Daar is verskeie alternatiewe vir die bestuur van HIV binne die SANW, wat
oorweeg kan word. Die huidige SANW HIV beleid is, ten beste, uiters vaag met
die hantering van spesiefieke opleidingsgeleenthede. Die navorsing beoog om
beleidsmakers binne die SANW bewus te maak van die behoefte om definitiewe
besluite te verseker dat HIV nie die effektiwitet van die SANW beinvloed nie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16421 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Rezelman, Rens (Rens Jan) |
| Contributors | Weaver, Belinda, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Management and Planning. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiii, 98, [11] leaves : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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