Godfrey Ngwenya

Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya
SBG DMG MMS LOM
Born (1950-04-28) 28 April 1950
Johannesburg
Allegiance  South Africa
Service/branch South African Army
Years of service 1994 - 2011
Rank General
Commands held
Awards


Other work Ambassador to Angola

General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya SBG DMG MMS LOM (born 1950) was a South African military commander.

Early life

General Godfrey Ngwenya was born in Johannesburg on 28 April 1950. He attended Orlando High School, where he matriculated in 1970. He joined the ANC and the ANC's Military Wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), at the height of the student uprisings in South Africa in 1976. While in exile he underwent military training in Angola and passed his further commanders' courses in the then German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union.

Military career

He joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress, in 1976, and commanded MK forces in Angola from 1983 to 1989. He transferred to the South African National Defence Force when MK was incorporated into it in 1994 and he was appointed as Major General and served as Deputy General Officer Commanding of Witwatersrand Command in Johannesburg from 1994 to 1996.

From 1996 to 1998 he was General Officer Commanding of North West Command in Potchefstroom and from 1998 to the end of September 1999 Chief Director Force Preparation in the Army Office. He served as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 1 October 1999 to 31 December 2000. He was promoted to the rank of Lt Gen on 1 January 2001 and appointed as Chief of Joint Operations to 2005,[1] when he was promoted to Chief of the SANDF.[2]

Ambassador to Angola

After retirement from the SANDF General Ngwenya was appointed Ambassador to Angola.[3]

Awards and Decorations

Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya, chief, South African National Defense Force render honors during the playing of their respective national anthems at the Pentagon on May 20, 2010. Mullen presented Ngwenya with the Legion of Merit for his leadership during a time of transition in the South African military and his countries support of vital United Nations peacekeeping operations in Sudan, Burundi and Congo. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

In May 2010 Gen. Ngwenya was awarded the Legion of Merit by then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen[4][5]

In addition, he has been awarded the following medals and decorations:[6]

References

  1. ↑ Engelbrecht, Leon (21 January 2010). "Fact file: General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya". Defenceweb.co.za. DefenceWeb. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  2. ↑ Ndaba, CPO Dennis (July 2005). "A final compliment to a General for life" (PDF). SA Soldier. 12 (7): 10–13. ISSN 1609-5014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Sisulu bids farewell to ex-defence chief". news24.com. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120606070816/http://www.defenseimagery.mil/imagery.html. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ "Chiefs Shake". defense.gov. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.navy.mil.za/archive/1106/110608_SANDF_new_command/CV_Ngwenya.htm%5B%5D

See also

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Unknown		 Ambassador to Angola
2011 – 		Incumbent
Military offices
Preceded by
Gen Siphiwe Nyanda		 Chief of the South African National Defence Force
2005 – 2011 		Succeeded by
Gen Solly Shoke
Preceded by
Deon Ferreira		 Chief of Joint Operations Division
2001 – 2005 		Succeeded by
Sipho Binda
Preceded by
Maj Gen Jonny Coetzer		 GOC North Western Command
1996 – 1998 		Succeeded by
Brig Gen Robbie Coetsee
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