T - Department of Defence

eventsS A S O L D I E Rand a Certificate inDefence Managementfrom the University ofWitwatersrand. He servedthe SANDF as theDirector ManpowerPlanning and later as theDirector ArmyIntegration. He was theDirector PersonnelAcquisition from January1999 to October 2000 afterwhich he was promotedto the rank of MajorGeneral as the Chief ofHuman ResourcesSupport in 2000. In 2004he was promoted to therank of LieutenantGeneral and appointed asthe Chief of the SA Army.After the signing ceremony Gen Godfrey Ngwenya, the outgoing Chief ofthe SANDF (left) congratulates Gen Solly Shoke on his new appointment asChief of the SANDF.Gen Siphiwe Nyanda. He became anoutstanding General who strove tomaintain the integrity of the SANDF.He embodies what it means to be amember of the SANDF today; indeedhe is a man of outstanding discipline.Gen Ngwenya relinquished this poston 30 March 2011 to become theAmbassador of South Africa to Angola.He is married to Ms BusisiweNgwenya and has three children.General Shoke's CurriculumVitaeGen Solly Shoke was born on 15August 1956 in Alexandra Township.He left the country after the uprisingsin 1976 and joined the military wing ofthe African National Congress (ANC)Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) and receivedhis military training in Angola and furthertraining in the then Soviet Union.He served in various capacities in MKboth inside and outside the country. Herose through the ranks to become theCommander of the then TransvaalMachinery. He was part of the undergroundCollective Leadership duringOperation VULA. He was a politicalcommissar and operated internally untilthe unbanning of the liberation movements.He was part of the NationalOrganising Department of the ANCwhose mission was to organise ANCstructures in the country.He was also a member of the committeesthat facilitated the peaceful transition todemocracy in South Africa, includingintegration of the armed forces into theSANDF. He completed his IntermediateStaff Course in 1993/1994 in Zimbabwe.After the ushering in of the new democraticera, he completed the SeniorCommand and Staff Duties Course inSouth Africa and later did the Joint StaffCourse at the SA Army College.Gen Shoke holds a Diploma in HumanResources Management from DamelinThe following are some ofthe highlights of his careeras the Chief of the SAArmy: he introduced theSA Army Vision 2020, along-term vision andstrategic planning processfor the SA Army. Underhis leadership the SAArmy established the Works Regiment,which currently runs the programmefor the maintenance and refurbishmentof the SANDF infrustructure. The SAArmy also resuscitated some of theessential capabilities, such as the airbornecapability, Desert and JungleWarfare and Special Infantry - a capabilitythat deals with border safeguarding.Another memorable highlight ofhis career was his appointment as theSADC Forces' Mission Commander ofOperation BOLEAS in Lesotho in 1998.Gen Shoke is a known disciplinarianwho is committed to a disciplinedNational Defence Force guided bystrict military discipline. He has committedhimself to exemplary leadershipand is an example of living the valuesof the SANDF. His actions are a testimonyof integrity, loyalty and patriotismin an unbiased and non-politicalmanner. He is married to Ms CharlotteShoke and is blessed with fourchildren.J U N E 2 0 1 1 • s15