South Africa plans a military draft

March 25, 1982

South Africa, facing what it sees as a mounting wave of Soviet-backed subversion, plans to increase its armed forces by requiring national military service of all white males between the ages of 17 and 60. Analysts said the bill would increase South Africa's fighting strength to 250,000. The size of the armed forces is not officially available.

Details of a draft bill to be presented in Parliament show that original plans to include white women and mixed-race and Asian men in the proposal have been dropped.