The Markets for Force: South Africa.

For the past two decades, a considerable number of South Africans have been very active in the markets for force, both locally and globally. South Africa has supplied, and continues to supply, this lucrative market of Private Military/Security Companies (PMSCs) with expert personnel offering military/security and related services. Among other things, this resulted from South Africa's past history, where a considerable number of ex-military/security personnel found themselves without any source of employment immediately after the process of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). The only skills they possessed could only be sold in the local and global markets for force. A sizeable number of ex-military/security personnel established private security companies within South Africa. Others actively participated in mercenary activities, a fact which has been notoriously linked to the now defunct Executive Outcomes. South Africans continue to participate in various armed conflicts in Africa and beyond, providing diverse military/security and related services. Resulting from the South Africans involvement in the markets for force, South Africa responded by addressing both the internal and external dimensions of the privatisation of security through legislation. This paper shall consider how the markets for force have impacted on South Africa's monopoly on the use of force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]