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SANWC/98025125PE
POSITION PAPER ON THE POTENTIAL INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
ISSUES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF
SOUTH AFRICA

Appendix A: Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

1. South Africa, in the post-cold War era has also been plagued by a
variety of traditional and more contemporary human security concerns. These
issues range from mass migration to diseases from poverty to arms
proliferation. This is due to lack of democracy to the emergence of virulent
ethnic nationalism and from environmental degradation to.1

2. To define the national security, it is the ability to preserve the nation’s

physical integrity and territory; to maintain its economic relations on
reasonable terms; to protect its nature, institutions and the governance from
disruption from outside and also to.2

3. South Africa lately is faced with lot of challenges wrt international

security of which that has an impact on national security. These include
economy, health issues, terrorism, poverty as well as global warming. During
my analysis I will focus on global warming and terrorism that has great impact
on South Africa’s national security.

AIM

4. The aim of this position paper is to analyze the International security

issues and their influence on the National security of South Africa.

1
People Poverty and Peace, Human security in Southern Africa, 2005
2
Thinking about national Security, pg 4, par 3,1983

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SCOPE

5. In order to reach the aim of this position paper the following scope
points will be addressed:
a. Global Warming and impact on economy
b. Diseases
d. Terrorism
e. Conclusion

GLOBAL WARMING

DESCRIPTION OF GLOBAL WARMING

6. Global warming is an increase in the concentration of greenhouse

gasses in the atmosphere leading to an increase in the amount of infrared or
thermal radiation near the surface. Most scientists agree that the enhanced
greenhouse effect is leading to rising temperatures, referred to as global
warming, and other changes in the atmospheric environment, known as
climate change3.

7. According to the American History Encyclopaedia, these Gases are

created through human industrial and agricultural practices (primarily carbon
dioxide from burning fossil fuels and wood, as well as methane, nitrous oxide,
and chlorofluorocarbons) increase the heat-reflecting potential of the
atmosphere, thereby raising the planet's average temperature.

8. Global warming is also one of the security threats globally that has a
great impact also in South Africa. These impacts can be seen on:
a. The climate change which refers to any change in the state of
the climate that can be identified by changes in the average
and/or the variability of its properties (e.g., temperature,
precipitation), and that persists for an extended period, typically
decades or longer. The climate change has also been seen on
changes of the sea levels. The sea levels are rising at a rate of

3
. http://www.eoe earth.org

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1.8mm per year for the past and this keeps on increasing. The
results of these changes have been seen when Tsunami
occurred few years ago whereby lot of people died because of
floods. These drastic changes have been experienced globally.

b. South Africa has been involved in disaster relief management

whereby the South African Air Force aircrafts were helping
Mozambique when they were experiencing floods of which they
were not used to. The sudden climate change brought the
country some rainy seasons that brought them floods.
Mozambique’s people were airlifted to safe places as they were
left without houses. The SAAF aircrafts had to be serviced as
they experienced water in their engines. To service those
aircrafts, government had to spend money of which the
government did not budget for, they did that in order to help
people as well as helping in the region.

c. South Africa recently experienced flood problem, whereby

people in Gauteng Province were left without houses and some
of the vehicles were swept away by floods. This is all because
of the climate change that is experienced and is a real threat to
the South African government and its people. Zambia also has
experienced floods that they have never seen as the results
their government will be seeking for help from the other
countries and South Africa can be one of them.

d. Due to the global warming agriculture of South Africa has been

affected. This has been caused by the drought that has been
experienced which causes the loss of productivity to plants or
farming products. This is also has been experienced when floods
occur. During this period, farming product got swept away by rain
and again the South African government had to help the farmers
with funds to overcome their problem. The impact on the
agricultural products that is caused by floods causes a lot of money

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especially on the government. The government has to give help to

the affected people as this brings lots of diseases because of the
micro organism called E-coli that mix with water during the floods
and this affects the plants or agricultural products. This is because
of food security that poses a threat to the country after floods.

e. Food security according to the World Resource Institute refers to

the availability of food and ones access to it. Communities are
considered food secured when they are affected by hunger or
starvation.

f. According to the World Resource Institute, millions of people

globally lack food security due to poverty that is caused by the
climate change due to global warming. It is becoming increasingly
difficult to maintain food security due to the disruption of farm
supplies and the food crisis in a relatively short time. This has
become a complex topic standing at the intersection of many
disciplines.

g. The increasing rate of poverty due to food security has caused

mass migration. People are leaving their countries seeking for the
places to the nearest countries of which this has affected South
Africa. South Africa is facing a problem whereby people from other
countries like Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Ivory Coast, Ethiopia have
immigrated to South Africa due to poverty in their countries. South
Africans recently were involved in xenophobic attacks which were
caused by people complaining about the foreigners in South Africa
that are being taken care of whereas themselves as South African
citizens have no jobs and places to stay. This was a threat to other
South Africans who could not be differentiated from foreigners due
to their skin tone e.g. people from the northern part of South Africa
are normally darker in complexion compared to people from other
provinces in South Africa and they turned to be associated with
foreigners.

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IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING ON SOUTH AFRICAN ECONOMY

9. Global warming has a terrible impact in the economy of the country. In

South Africa, government looses funds due to the involvement in the disaster
relieves. As I have mention in my statement wrt the SAAF aircrafts that have
to be serviced, according to Col Botha from South African Air Force HQ, to
service 1 x aircraft it cost the DoD R60-000, 00 of which that was not
budgeted for.

10. The people who are suffering from the diseases especially the
refugees should be taken to government hospitals and that becomes a burden
to the government as they are suppose to be given medication in order to
overcome their diseases.

11. South Africa again will be loosing their agricultural resources which
could be exported and that could be the economy booster for the country.
The other countries that are affected by climate change like Zambia will be
loosing their agricultural resources that could have been exported to South
Africa. This is the other situation that the South African government will be
using funds to help the agricultural industry to overcome their problem of
which that was not budgeted for.

DISEASES

12. The whole world including South Africa is faced with a biggest threat
that is HIV and Aids. Each country is spending lots of funds on the medication
for the disease and lots of people are dying due to this. South African
Defence force has also have the same problem of loosing members dying
because of the disease.

13. Some of the members cannot be deployed outside South Africa as they
are affected by the disease. The other members were deployed without
having HIV but surprisingly, when coming back from the foreign deployments

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especially in the African region they find themselves being positive on the HIV
disease. This poses a threat even on the other members who are not affected
by the disease as their partners coming back from the deployments not
knowing their status and pass the disease to their partners. The people who
are not working turned to be a burden to the government as they have to be
supplied by medication as well as special grant.

14. The other disease that affects most of the countries is Tuberculoses
and is increasing on daily bases. People are suffering on this because they
do not have sufficient, safe and nutritious food that can meet their dietary
needs for an active and healthy life. Some members coming to South Africa
from outside countries affected by the disease spread the disease to South
Africans. This again becomes a burden to the government as the people
have to be cared for especially by medication.

15. The other disease that is escalating is cholera. Recently, Limpopo

Province had a problem whereby they were facing with cases of cholera due
to the people that migrated from Zimbabwe as well as water problems as
Limpopo shares the river with Zimbabwe. This was a threat to South Africa as
cholera victims were increasing and it was also spreading to other South
African provinces like Gauteng.

TERRORISM AND ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL

SECURITY

16. Defining terrorism, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, it is

the symmetric use of terror, violent or destructive acts that are committed by
groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their
demands. These kinds of acts are also intended at creating fear and are
perpetrated for an ideological goal. According to United Nations Security
Council Resolution of 1373, acts of terrorism are criminal acts.5

5
Terrorism-wilkipedia

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17. The most common image of global terrorism is the one carried by a
small and secretive group in recent time such as the 9/11 incident, which left
the world so amazed as the group was never even detected by intelligence
agencies.

18. The other incidents that are also raised security questions are, the
London underground bombing, 2002 Bali bombing and the most recent
incident that shocked the world which is the Shrilanka incident that happened
whilst the international cricket players were busy playing on the field.
There was nothing of this nature that was suspected or detected especially
whilst the international is in motion.

19. Looking at these incidents and take into considerations that in 2010
South Africa will be hosting the soccer world cup, incidents of this nature are
posing a threat as some of the countries that will be taking part in the games
have experienced the incidents of this nature whilst international games are in
process e.g. Shrilanka.

CONCLUSION

20. Looking at all the incidents wrt climate change that have taken place
globally, the conclusion is that, national security of South Africa is at risk.
People lost their houses; vehicles and some lost their lives because of the
heavy floods, and field fires that have killed the wild animals including the
agricultural products. South Africa has been even involved in disaster relief’s
projects some of the neighbouring countries have suffered because of the
floods.

21. Economy of South Africa is also in jeopardy as the agricultural

products have been affected by the global warming, meaning the export
business is at risk as well as the water security that has posed threat. Due to
this government has used funds that were not suppose to be used especially
in helping refugees suffering from diseases like cholera that has been caused
by water problem as well as dietary problems.

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22. Terrorism is the worst security threat globally. Each country is fighting
against the terrorism as it posses threat to the international as well as national
security.

23. South Africa can see itself facing the incidents of terrorism as these
groups can try to prove their point to certain countries that will be taking part
in 2010 soccer world cup. They can also try to show their anger to South
Africa if she can have ties with countries that thy have problems with e.g.
rivalry between United States of America with Arab countries as well as some
of those groups fighting with communism.

(B.D. TSOKO)
LEARNER JCSCP 8/2009: LT COL

(Word Count : 2073)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. E/Terrorism-wilkipedia, encyclopedia, mnt.

2. Global Warming, http: www.eoe art.org/article/global warming

Thinking about National Security, Harold Brown, 1983, Westview Press Inc, New
York.

3. Global Warming, http: www.global7greenhouse-warming.com

4. People Poverty and Peace, human Security in Southern Africa, Hussein

Solomon and Jackie Cilliers, Monograph no 4,May 2005, Defence Security Studies

5. SAAF Capability presentations, SAAF HQ, 19 March 2009

6. Security Trends presentation, Jo-Ansie van Wyk, 18 March 2009

Terrorism presentation, Mrs Botha, 17 March 2009

7. Terrorism presentation, Mrs. Botha, 17 March 2009

8. Thinking about National Security, Harold Brown, 1983, Westview Press Inc,
New York

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