The Conscientious Objector Support Group (COSG), a support group to

conscientious objectors A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to objecti ...

(COs) in

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

, was formed in 1978. The organisation grew in the context of South African resistance to war, 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 dodger Draft evasion is any successful attempt to elude a government-imposed obligation to serve in the military forces of one's nation. Sometimes draft evasion involves refusing to comply with the military draft laws of one's nation. Illegal draft ev ...

s, 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 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 Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism or Biblical nonresistance. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: * Church of the Brethr ...

'.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, a ...

sitting in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

, 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. 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