Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614113653325824 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Edwards, Eboni |
| author2 | Heinecken, Lindy |
| author_browse | Edwards, Eboni Heinecken, Lindy |
| author_facet | Heinecken, Lindy Edwards, Eboni |
| author_sort | Edwards, Eboni |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127089 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:52.985Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127089 Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa Edwards, Eboni Heinecken, Lindy Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology. Covid-19 (Disease) -- South Africa Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020- Medicine, Military -- South Africa South Africa -- Armed Forces Emergency management -- South Africa Armed forces -- Mobilization -- South Africa Armed forces -- Civic action -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study sets out to determine why and how a health issue can become securitised, by understanding the origins of securitisation theory and the different perspectives focused on this theory. It also seeks to understand the justification of the deployment of the military and questions the oversight and civil control over the military when and if they are deployed in a civilian setting. A discourse analysis was used to analyse the presidential addresses that took place from 15 March 2020 to 26 March 2020. It was found that there was a clear war narrative and securitization of the pandemic during the initial lockdown stages that portrayed the pandemic as a security threat. An analysis of opinion texts was also used to understand the debates surrounding the effect of this, as well as the deployment of the military in South Africa. To gain a wider perspective, eight specialists within fields such as academia, politics, defence, and oversight, were interviewed to obtain opinions regarding the implications of securitising a health threat, and their views on the deployment of the military. From this, it was concluded that political actors possess the power to securitise an issue, but the implications of this is that it can lead to an abuse of power, and lead to the militarisation of the epidemic which can lead to the justification to deploy the military in law enforcement.When the military is not prepared and trained to deploy in roles that are meant to save, protect, and help citizens, but ‘fight’ a so- called invisible enemy, it can lead to the abuse of power. For this reason, it is paramount that there is sufficient civilian oversight, transparency, and accountability to hold the military to account where it is found guilty of human rights violations. This study found that in the initial stages of the deployment of the military, there was not sufficient civil oversight of the military, that the military was not sufficiently trained and prepared for their mission. However, the power and influence of civil society and the role played by the military ombudsman were key to addressing this. Nonetheless, the misconduct of the military had a negative effect on civil- military relations and the legitimacy of the military. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Hierdie studie het ten doel om vas te stel hoekom en hoe ‘n gesondheidskwessie gesekuritiseer kan word, deur die oorsprong van sekuritiseringsteorie en die verskillende perspektiewe wat op hierdie teorie gefokus is, te verstaan. Dit poog ook om die regverdiging van die ontplooiing van die weermag te verstaan en bevraagteken die toesig en burgerlike beheer oor die weermag wanneer en/of as hulle in ‘n burgerlike omgewing ontplooi word. Diskoersanalise is gebruik om die presidensiële toesprake wat vanaf 15 Maart 2020 tot 26 Maart 2020 plaasgevind het, te ontleed. Daar is gevind dat daar ‘n duidelike oorlogsverhaal en sekuritetisering van die pandemie was tydens die aanvanklike inperkingsfases wat die pandemie as ‘n veiligheidsbedreiging uitgebeeld het. ’n Ontleding van meningstekste is ook gebruik om die debatte rondom die effek hiervan, asook die ontplooiing van die weermag in Suid-Afrika, te verstaan. Om ʼn wyer perspektief te kry, is onderhoude gevoer met agt spesialiste binne velde soos akademie, politiek, verdediging en toesig, om menings te verkry oor die implikasies van die sekuritisering van ‘n gesondheidsbedreiging, asook hul sienings oor die ontplooiing van die weermag. Hieruit is tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat politieke akteurs die mag besit om ‘n kwessie te sekuritiseer, maar die implikasies hiervan is dat dit kan lei tot magsmisbruik, asook tot die militarisering van die epidemie wat kan lei tot die regverdiging om weermag te ontplooi in wetstoepassing. Waar die weermag nie voorbereid en opgelei is om te ontplooi in rolle wat bedoel is om burgers te red, te beskerm en te help nie, maar ‘n sogenaamde onsigbare vyand ‘beveg’, kan dit lei tot magsmisbruik. Om hierdie rede is dit uiters belangrik dat daar voldoende burgerlike toesig, deursigtigheid en aanspreeklikheid is om die weermag tot verantwoording te roep waar dit skuldig bevind word aan menseregteskendings. Hierdie studie het bevind dat daar in die aanvanklike stadiums van die ontplooiing van die weermag nie voldoende burgerlike toesig oor die weermag was nie, en dat die weermag nie voldoende opgelei en voorbereid was vir hul missie nie. Die mag en invloed van die burgerlike samelewing en die rol wat die militêre ombudsman gespeel het, was egter die sleutel om hieraan aandag te gee. Nietemin het die wangedrag van die weermag ‘n negatiewe uitwerking op burgerlike-militêre verhoudings en die legitimiteit van die weermag gehad. Masters 2023-03-10T12:16:10Z 2023-05-18T07:03:46Z 2023-03-10T12:16:10Z 2023-05-18T07:03:46Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127089 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 69 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Covid-19 (Disease) -- South Africa Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020- Medicine, Military -- South Africa South Africa -- Armed Forces Emergency management -- South Africa Armed forces -- Mobilization -- South Africa Armed forces -- Civic action -- South Africa UCTD Edwards, Eboni Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title | Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title_full | Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title_short | Securitisation of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the deployment of the Military: issues and concerns in South Africa |
| title_sort | securitisation of the covid 19 pandemic and the deployment of the military issues and concerns in south africa |
| topic | Covid-19 (Disease) -- South Africa Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020- Medicine, Military -- South Africa South Africa -- Armed Forces Emergency management -- South Africa Armed forces -- Mobilization -- South Africa Armed forces -- Civic action -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127089 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT edwardseboni securitisationofthecovid19pandemicandthedeploymentofthemilitaryissuesandconcernsinsouthafrica |