An account of the integration of the South African Defense Force with the ANC and PAC armed wings to form a national force after Mandela's 1994 election. On twenty-seven April 1994 South Africa went to the polls and delivered the first black government in the country's history. This was the Mandela Revolution. This is not the story of how the Rainbow Nation was formed, but it tells a story of one part of the revolution; a vital part, that had to occur to give legitimacy to the new South Africa both at home and abroad. This account focuses on how the military forces supporting the Apartheid regime and those committed to its overthrow came together to form a new national force, reflecting the new multi-racial, multi-faith democracy. Within this revolution, there was a small detachment from the British armed forces that were charged with assisting this transition. They were required to oversee and assist a process that had never been done before and often had to operate alone. It is a story of highs and lows, of sudden death, breakdowns and ultimately of hope. In this personal account of three years spent in the middle of this staggering transitional experiment, there was Security Sector Reform and Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) before such processes were coined by the United Nations. It is a book that demonstrates how success and failure can occur simultaneously.
