Senior management of the Joint Operations Division of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) gained three major generals in the annual Department of Defence (DoD) Human Resources Division appointments/promotions announcement.
The SA Army, one of three SANDF combat services, has four new top brass members while Lieutenant General Ntshavheni Maphaha’s SA Military Health Service (SAMHS) accounts for a further two major general/rear admiral appointments. No senior appointments at the two-star level were made at either of the other combat services – the SA Air Force (SAAF) and the SA Navy (SAN).
All told, the Department of Defence (DoD) named 15 appointments at this level with seven effective as of 1 January. The others take office on dates varying from 1 February, 1 April, 1 June as well as the first days of October and November this year.
JOps, as Lieutenant General Siphiwe Sangweni’s command is colloquially known, has a new deputy chief in the form of SA Army Major General Sandile Hlongwa. Among his previous posts are General Officer Commanding (GOC) Army Training Command and Army Force Structure.
Joining him in the Centurion EcoPark JOps headquarters are newly minted major generals Tom Yalo and MM Tshivhidzo. Yalo has a term as GOC Special Forces on his CV and is a regular on official SANDF visits by Chief Rudzani Maphwanya, including to Iran. SA Army staff officer Tshividzo was, as far as can be ascertained, South Africa’s military advisor to the United Nations ahead of the move to JOps.
The senior command structure at Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha’s SA Army adds major generals HJ Stroebel (GOC Support Formation), Leon Puckree (Chief Director Army Force Structure), L Zicina (Chief Director Force Preparation) and Etienne Visagie (Chief Director Army Corporate Services). Stroebel and Puckree’s appointments are effective as from 1 April with Zicina starting in October and Visagie in November when major generals Patrick Dube and John Thys retire.
Defence Intelligence has a new deputy in the form of Major General Rene Mercuur. She is no stranger to being number two in SANDF divisions, formations and services having put in stints as deputy chief at JOps and before that at the landward force.
Other Defence Intelligence appointments see the SAAF’s DJ Mokoena obtain his second star to do duty as Chief Director Collection with SA Army one star C Terblanche earning her second star to go with her Chief Director Intelligence Processing title.
Come November the DoD Inspector General will be Rear Admiral TE Mhlonyane replacing Major General Musa Mazibuko (retiring). The DoD Human Resources Division welcomes newly minted major generals Mpho Leketi (Director Transformation Management) and Mninimzi Sizane (Chief Joint Training). Both are SA Army staff officers.
At SAMHS Major General Mokakatla Skosana is the new deputy Surgeon General and Major General M Vorster takes over as Chief Director Military Health Force Support from Skosana.
Also named in a separate appointments/promotions bulletin are more than 50 new brigadier generals/rear admirals (junior grade) across the DoD/SANDF with former colonel EP Sithole earning his first star as personal staff officer (PSO), also known as an aide de camp, to SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya.
Other directorates, divisions, formations and service where newly appointed brigadier general/rear admirals (junior grade) are either in place or will take up posts soon are the Directorate Corporate Communication (one), JOps (seven), IG (one), Defence Intelligence (11), Logistics Division (eight), Human Resources Division (six), SA Army (eight), SAAF (three), SAN (three) and SAMHS (nine).
Click here for the full list of Colonel/Captain (SAN) promotions for 2025/26
Click here for the full list of Brigadier General/Rear Admiral (JG) promotions for 2025/26
Click here for the full list of Major General/Rear Admiral promotions for 2025/26
