A historical perspective on South African military chaplaincy and Cold War ideologies during the Border War, 1966-1989

Abstract

For  most  of  the  latter  half  of  the  twentieth  century,  Cold  War  ideologies  dominated  foreign  relations  and  domestic  state  policies  and,  as  such,  it  also  touched  the  lives  of  ordinary  men  and  women.  Decolonisation  and  the  Soviet  offensive  of  anti-imperialism  brought  Asia  and  Africa  into  the  realm  of  Cold War politics. The Border War (also known as the Namibian War of Independence or the Bush War, 1966-1989) in Southern Africa gave evidence of Soviet anti-imperialist propaganda. It was counteracted by  justifications  of  western  containment  policies.  In  the  South  African  context  it  elicited  strong sociopolitical sentiments. With regard to the Border War it included accusations that military chaplains supported  the  state  policy  of  apartheid  and  a  call  was  put  forth  to  demilitarise  chaplaincy  within  the  South  African  Defence  Force  (SADF).  Ethical  issues  based  on  ideology  are  always  multidimensional  and open to different interpretations. This article gives an historical perspective on the timeframe and on the complexities of perspectives from the viewpoint of military chaplains.