List of South African military chiefs

The following is a list of South African military chiefs. From 1958 until the first post-apartheid general 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 Constitution of South Africa, 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.

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 election, the South African Defence Force became the South African National Defence Force.

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).

Chiefs of the South African military
List of South African military chiefs
Chief of the Union Defence Force 1912–1957	Andries Brink Pierre van Ryneveld Leonard Beyers Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper Stephen Melville
Commandant General SADF 1958–1973	Stephen Melville Pieter Grobbelaar Rudolph Hiemstra Hugo Biermann
Chief of the SADF 1973–1994	Hugo Biermann Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Lodewyk Meiring
Chief of the SANDF 1994–present	Georg Lodewyk Meiring Siphiwe Nyanda Godfrey Ngwenya Solly Shoke

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.

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

Chiefs of the South African Army
List of South African military chiefs
Director-General of Land Forces	Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper
Army Chief of Staff	Hendrik Klopper Pieter Grobbelaar Nick Bierman W. R. Van der Riet (acting) Sybrand Engelbrecht Petrus Jacobs Charles 'Pop' Fraser
Chief of the Army	Charles 'Pop' Fraser Willem Louw Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Meiring Hattingh Pretorius Reginald Otto Gilbert Ramano Solly Shoke Vusumuzi Masondo

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.

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.

Chiefs of the South African Navy
List of South African military chiefs
OC South African Naval Service 1922 – 1932	Norman Rankin Robert F.U.P. Fitzgerald
Director, Seaward Defence Force 1940 – 1942	Guy Hallifax James Dalgleish
Director, South African Naval Forces 1942 – 1951	James Dalgleish Frederick Dean
Naval & Marine Chief of Staff 1951 – 1955	Frederick Dean Pieter de Waal Hugo H Biermann
Naval Chief of Staff 1955 – 1966	Hugo H Biermann
Chief of the Navy 1966 – Present	Hugo H Biermann James 'Flam' Johnson J Charl Walters Ronald A. Edwards Andries P "Dries" Putter Glen Syndercombe Andries P "Dries" Putter Lambert J “Woody” Woodburne Robert Simpson-Anderson Johan Retief Refiloe Johannes Mudimu Samuel Hlongwane

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.

Surgeons General of the South African Military Health Service
List of South African military chiefs
Surgeons General of the South African Medical Service Pre 1994	Eugene Raymond Colin Cockcroft Nicolaas Nieuwoudt Daniel Knobel
Surgeons General of the South African Military Health Service Post 1994	Daniel Knobel Davidson Masuku Jurinus Janse van Rensburg Vejaynand Ramlakan Aubrey Sedibe

Chief of Joint Operations

Chief of Corporate Staff

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

References