The Conscientious Objector Support Group (COSG), a support group to conscientious objectors (COs) in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, was formed in 1978. The organisation grew in the context of

South African resistance to war South African resistance to war has a long tradition, and a history that includes conscientious objectors, pacifists, deserters and draft dodgers, as well as those whose objections are based upon the notion of "just war" as opposed to unjust or ille ...

, at the time of

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. COs at the time included those who openly refused to report to the Military, once conscripted, those who were sometimes referred to as draft dodgers, and in due course those who were doing statutory community service.

Community service under the 1983 amendment to the Defence Act

A 1993 amendment to the South African

Defence Act Defence Act is a stock short title used in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom for legislation relating to territorial defence. List Australia *The Defence (Citizen Military Forces) Act 1943 New Zealand *The Defence Act 1886 ...

provided for substitute service outside the armed forces for COs complying with certain requirements. The amendment was drafted at a time when the State was under increasing pressure to address the situation of COs. One of these pressures was the increased number of COs in prison or military barracks. For example, in 1982 there were 263 COs serving sentences in military detention barracks. The 1983 amendment provided for the first time for a form of alternative service, although for a punitively long period of three times the military service. Conscripted military service at that time consisted of two years full-time service, followed by 'camps'. The latter were annual call-ups for short-term periods of about a month, though not everyone was called every year. For those who had not done any military service, the Act provided for a six-year period of community service. For those who had done the initial military service and objected only to the camp component, the requirement was three years duty. This amendment recognised COs only if they were Religious Objectors (RO's), even if they did not belong to the so-called ' peace churches'.Aletta J. Norval, Deconstructing Apartheid Discourse, p 262. COs had to appear before a

Board for Religious Objectors Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, ...

sitting in Bloemfontein, which ruled on whether they complied with the requirements of the Act. Those who were accepted by the Board as RO's were placed in community service under the administration by the then

Department of Manpower Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. Typical places for service were hospitals and the civil service generally. The decision was made by the authorities, though the RO was permitted to express his preferences. (Military service only applied to white males.)

References

Apartheid in South Africa Conscientious objection organizations Defunct civic and political organisations in South Africa Organizations established in 1978 1978 establishments in South Africa Peace organisations based in South Africa {{Apartheid-sa-stub