List of South African military chiefs

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Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The following is a list of South African military chiefs. From 1958 until the first post-apartheid election in 1994, the present-day South African National Defence Force was known as the South African Defence Force. From 1912 to 1958, the military was known as the Union Defence Force.

In terms of section 202(1) of the South African Constitution, the military command of the Defence Force consists of[1] the Chief of the Defence Force plus the Chiefs of the combat arms (Army, Air Force and Navy) as well as

  • the Surgeon-General of the South African Military Health Service;
  • the Chief of Joint Operations of the Defence Force;
  • the Chief of Defence Intelligence;
  • the Chief of Human Resources; and
  • the Chief of Logistics.

Head of the Defence Force

The Defence Force consists of the South African Army, South African Air Force, South African Navy, and South African Medical Service (which was renamed South African Military Health Service in 1998). The Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is the senior military commander and the chiefs of the four services, in addition to the chiefs of Joint Operations, Defence Intelligence, and Corporate Staff, report to him.[2] As of July 2012 the Chief of the SANDF is Gen. Solly Shoke SBS MMS .

Chief of the Union Defence Force

The Union Defence Force (UDF) consisted initially of land forces. An aviation corps was formed in 1915 and replaced by the South African Air Force in 1920. A naval branch was added in 1922, and the South African Division of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve was incorporated into it in 1942.

In 1951, the defence forces were reorganised into three distinct combat services: the South African Army, the South African Air Force, and the South African Navy. The organisation was renamed "South African Defence Force" in 1958.

The UDF had no overall commander for the first nine and a half years. From January 1922, the Chief of the General Staff, previously responsible only for the Defence Headquarters staff, was the executive commander of the UDF. The title was changed to 'Commandant General UDF' in September 1956.

Name Start of term End of term
Maj Gen Andries Brink DTD

DSO ||1 October 1922 || 1 May 1933
Gen Sir Pierre van Ryneveld KBE

CB DSO MC ||2 May 1933[3] || 1 May 1949
Lt Gen Leonard Beyers 2 May 1949 15 March 1950
Lt Gen Christiaan du Toit DSO

||16 March 1950 || 22 September 1956
Gen Hendrik Klopper DSO

||23 September 1956 || 24 September 1958
Gen Stephen Melville SSA

OBE ||25 September 1958 || 31 October 1958

Chief of the SADF

The UDF was renamed 'South African Defence Force' in November 1958.[4] The Commandant General's title was then changed to 'Commandant General SADF'. It was changed to 'Chief of the SADF' in July 1973, after Admiral Hugo Biermann assumed the post the year before. After South Africa's first democratic elections the South African Defence Force became the South African National Defence Force.

Name Start of term End of term
Gen Stephen Melville SSA

OBE ||1 November 1958 || 31 December 1960
Gen Pieter Grobbelaar SSA

DSO ||1 January 1961 || 31 December 1965
Gen Rudolph Hiemstra SSA

SM ||1 January 1966 || 31 March 1972
Adm Hugo Biermann SSA

SD OBE GCIH ||1 April 1972 || 31 August 1976
Gen Magnus Malan SSA

SD SM ||1 September 1976 || 6 October 1980
Gen Constand Viljoen SSA

SD SOE SM ||7 October 1980 || 30 October 1985
Gen Johannes Geldenhuys SSA

SD SOE SM ||1 November 1985 || 31 October 1990
Gen Andreas Liebenberg SSA

SD SOE SM MMM ||1 November 1990 || 31 October 1993
Gen Georg Lodewyk Meiring SSAS

SD SM MMM ||1 November 1993 || 30 April 1994

Chief of the SANDF

The SADF amalgamated with the Azanian People's Liberation Army, Umkhonto we Sizwe, and the homeland defence forces to form the South African National Defence Force in 1994. The SANDF was based on the existing SADF structure of South African Army, South African Air Force, South African Navy, and South African Medical Service (which was renamed South African Military Health Service in 1998).

Name Start of Term End of Term
Gen Georg Lodewyk Meiring SSA

SD SM MMM || 27 April 1994 || 31 May 1998
Gen Siphiwe Nyanda SSA

SBS CLS DMG MMS MMM || 1 June 1998 || 31 May 2005
Gen Godfrey Ngwenya SBG

DMG MMS || 1 June 2005 || 1 May 2011
Gen Solly Shoke SBS

MMS || 2 May 2011 || Incumbent

Chief of the Army

The Chief of the South African Army is the professional head of the Army. There was no separate army commander until 1948. The post was called 'Director-General of Land Forces'[5] 1948–51 and 'Army Chief of Staff' 1951–66, and has been 'Chief of the Army since 1966.

Name Start of term End of term
Brig Christiaan du Toit DSO

[6]:92||10 November 1948 || 15 March 1950[5]
Brig Hendrik Klopper DSO

[6]:94||16 March 1950 || 30 April 1953
Maj Gen Pieter Grobbelaar SSA

DSO [6]:93||1 May 1953 || 24 September 1958
Maj Gen Nick Bierman SSA

SM CBE [6]:89||25 September 1958 || 31 October 1959
Maj Gen Sybrand Engelbrecht SM

[6]:92||1 November 1959 || 3 March 1963
Maj Gen Petrus Jacobs SSA

SM [6]:93||4 March 1963 || 31 December 1965
Lt Gen Charles 'Pop' Fraser SSA

SM [6]:92||1 October 1966 || 30 November 1967
Lt Gen Willem Louw SSA

SM [6]:94||1 December 1967 || 30 June 1973
Lt Gen Magnus Malan SSA

SD SM MP [6]:95||1 July 1973 || 31 August 1976
Lt Gen Constand Viljoen SSA

SM ||1 September 1976 || 6 October 1980
Lt Gen Johannes Geldenhuys SSAS

SD SM [6]:92||7 October 1980 || 30 October 1985
Lt Gen Andreas Liebenberg SSAS

SD ||1 November 1985 || 28 February 1990
Lt Gen Georg Meiring SSAS

SD SM MMM ||1 March 1990 || 31 October 1993
Lt Gen Hattingh Pretorius SD

SM MMM ||1 November 1993 || 31 December 1994
Lt Gen Reginald Otto SD

SM MMM ||1 January 1995 || 30 June 1998
Lt Gen Gilbert Ramano SSAS

SD MMS MMM MMB ||1 July 1998 || 31 May 2004
Lt Gen Solly Shoke SBS

MMS ||1 June 2004 || 1 May 2011
Lt Gen Vusumuzi Masondo MMM

||1 October 2011[7] || 31 January 2016
Lt Gen Lindile Yam CLS

MMS ||1 February 2016[8] || Incumbent

Lt Gen Werndly Van der Riet SSA SM MC spent some time acting as Head of the Army.[6]:98

Chief of the Air Force

The Chief of the South African Air Force is the professional head of the Air Force. The post was called 'Director of Air Services' 1920–33, 'Director of Air & Technical Services' 1937–39, 'Director-General of Air Services' 1939–41, 'Director-General of the Air Force' 1941–51, and 'Air Chief of Staff' 1951–66, and has been 'Chief of the Air Force' since 1966.

Name Start of term End of term
Col Sir Pierre van Ryneveld KBE

DSO MC ||1 February 1920 || 30 September 1937[9]
Col Francis Hoare CBE

||1 October 1937||31 October 1937
Lt Col Hector Daniel MC

AFC ||1 November 1937 || 12 September 1939
Col John Holthouse OBE

||13 September 1939 || 30 September 1940
Maj Gen Christoffel Venter CB

DFC ||1 October 1940 || 16 October 1945
Brig Harold Willmott CBE

||17 October 1945 || 10 September 1946
Brig James 'Jimmy' Durrant CB

DFC ||1 October 1946 || 30 June 1951
Brig Harold Willmott CBE

||1 July 1951 ||24 August 1954
Brig Stephen Melville OBE

||25 August 1954 || 22 September 1956
Maj Gen Barend Viljoen SSA

OBE ||23 September 1956 || 30 April 1965
Lt Gen Henry "Kalfie" Martin SM

CBE DFC ||1 May 1965 || 30 November 1967
Lt Gen Jacobus Verster SSA

SM ||1 December 1967 || 28 February 1975
Lt Gen Robert 'Bob' Rogers SSA

SM DSO DFC || 1 March 1975 || 30 November 1979
Lt Gen Michal Muller SSAS

SD ||1 December 1979 || 29 February 1984
Lt Gen Denis Earp SSA

SD SM ||1 March 1984 || 30 June 1988
Lt Gen Jan van Loggerenberg SSAS

SD SOE ||1 July 1988 || 31 October 1991
Lt Gen James Kriel SSAS

SD SM MMM ||1 November 1991 || 30 April 1996
Lt Gen Willem Hechter SSAS

SD SM MMM ||1 May 1996 || 29 February 2000[9]
Lt Gen Roelf Beukes SD

SM MMM ||1 March 2000 || 28 February 2005
Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano SM

MMM ||1 March 2005 || 30 September 2012
Lt Gen Fabian Msimang 1 October 2012 Incumbent

Chief of the Navy

The Chief of the South African Navy is the professional head of the Navy. The post was called 'Officer Commanding South African Naval Service' 1922–32, 'Director, Seaward Defence Force' 1940–42, 'Director, South African Naval Forces' 1942–51, 'Naval & Marine Chief of Staff' 1951–55, and 'Naval Chief of Staff' 1955–66, and has been 'Chief of the Navy' since 1966.

Name Start of term End of term
Cdr Norman Rankin 1 April 1922 3 June 1928
Cdr Robert F.U.P. Fitzgerald 4 June 1928 4 November 1932
Vacant (the Navy disposed of its ships and reduced personnel to a few administrative staff) 1933 1939
R Adm Guy Hallifax

||16 September 1939 || 28 March 1941
Cdre James Dalgleish CBE

||21 March 1941 || 30 November 1946
Cdre Frederick Dean OBE

||1 December 1946 || 30 June 1951
Brig Pieter de Waal CB

CBE ||1 July 1951 || 30 November 1952
V Adm Hugo H Biermann SSA

OBE ||1 December 1952 || 31 March 1972
V Adm James 'Flam' Johnson SSA

SM DSC ||1 April 1972 || 30 September 1977
V Adm J Charl Walters SD

SM ||1 October 1977 || 30 January 1980
V Adm Ronald A. Edwards SSAS

SM ||1 February 1980 || 30 September 1982
V Adm Andries P "Dries" Putter SSAS

||1 October 1982 || 30 June 1985
V Adm Glen Syndercombe SSAS

SD SOE SM ||1 July 1985 || 31 March 1989
V Adm Andries P "Dries" Putter SSAS

SD MMM ||1 April 1989 || 30 June 1990
V Adm Lambert J “Woody” Woodburne DVR

SD SM ||1 July 1990 || 31 August 1992
V Adm Robert Simpson-Anderson SSAS

SD SM MMM ||1 September 1992 || 31 October 2000
V Adm Johan Retief SD

SM MMM ||1 November 2000 || 28 February 2005
V Adm Refiloe Johannes Mudimu CLS

DMG SM MMS MMM ||1 March 2005 || 31 March 2014[10]
V Adm Samuel Hlongwane MMS

MMB

1 April 2014 Incumbent

Surgeon General

The Surgeon General is the Chief of the South African Military Health Service, which was known as the South African Medical Service before 1994.

South African Medical Service
From Surgeons General To
1 February 1960 Maj Gen Eugene Raymond SSA

SM || 31 March 1969
1 April 1969 Lt Gen Colin Cockcroft SSA

SM || 31 October 1977
1 November 1977 Lt Gen Nicolaas Nieuwoudt SSA

SD SM || 29 February 1988
1 March 1988 Lt Gen Daniel Knobel SSAS

SD SOE SM MMM KStJ MBC HB PHD || 27 April 1994
South African Military Health Service
From Surgeons General To
27 April 1994 Lt Gen Daniel Knobel SSAS

SD SOE SM MMM KStJ MBC HB PHD || 30 November 1997
1 December 1997 Lt Gen Davidson Masuku SSAS

MMM KStJ || 30 September 2000
1 October 2000 Lt Gen Jurinus Janse van Rensburg SD

SM MMM KStJ || 31 July 2005
1 August 2005 Lt Gen Vejaynand Ramlakan DMG

MMS MMB KStJ || 31 March 2013
1 April 2013 Lt Gen Aubrey Sedibe DMG

MMS MMM KStJ || Incumbent

Chief of Joint Operations

Name Start of term End of term
Lt Gen Deon Ferreira PVD

SD SM MMM ||1 August 1997 || 31 December 2000
Lt Gen Godfrey Ngwenya MMS

||1 January 2001 || 31 May 2005
Lt Gen Sipho Binda MMS

||1 June 2005 || 14 November 2006
Lt Gen Themba Matanzima CCM

SM MMM ||1 September 2007 || 30 September 2011
Lt Gen Derrick Mgwebi SD

SM MMM ||1 October 2011[7]|| 31 January 2016
Lt Gen Duma Mdutyana MMB

||1 February 2016|| Incumbent

Chief of Corporate Staff

The Chief of Corporate Staff is responsible for the provision of all staff services for the SANDF.[11]

Name Start of term End of term
V Adm Martyn Trainor SD

SM MMM ||1 October 2000 || 31 January 2004
Lt Gen Themba Matanzima CCM

SM MMM || 1 February 2004 || 31 July 2005
Lt Gen Jurinus Janse van Rensburg SD

SM MMM KStJ ||1 August 2005 || 30 April 2010
Maj Gen Louis Dlulane MMM

(acting)||1 May 2010 || 30 March 2013[12]
Lt Gen Vejaynand Ramlakan DMG

MMS MMB KStJ ||1 April 2013[12]|| 31 May 2015
Lt Gen Vusumuzi Masondo MMM

||1 February 2016[12]|| Incumbent

References

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  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ http://www.dod.mil.za/documents/acts/defence%20act44of1957.pdf
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news%202011/September2011/springbok.htm
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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