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2 June 2005

When General Siphiwe Nyanda took over command of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in June 1998, it was by popular demand. General Nyanda, then only 48 years old, had extensive military and political experience after years of operating as a liberation fighter and a military leader in the Umkhonto We Sizwe.

General Siphiwe Nyanda retires on 31 May 2005 having made an impressive contribution towards transformation within the SANDF.

On his appointment in June 1998 as the new Chief, he addressed the question of expectations and fears in the Defence Force. As the first African to assume command of the SANDF he came into office at a very difficult time. Transforming the young national defence force was a very difficult process and cuts to the defence budget posed serious challenges. In fact, the force design reflected in the Defence Review was unaffordable given the budget allocation provided for the medium expenditure framework. There was still uncertainty about long-term commitments to addressing the block obsolescence and long-term requirements.

He had no illusions when he took over the reins. The reality of black expectations and frustration, white fears, ingrained mistrust, residual racism and faltering discipline were areas of serious concern which needed urgent attention. The SANDF was in desperate need of a determined leader with a clear vision, a leader that could be trusted and who could bring certainty to the troops on the ground.

Briefed to complete the integration process of the South African Defence Force, TBVC armies and the Liberation Armies he expressed his dream that the Defence Force of the future would reflect the demographics of our society. All South Africans should be welcome in it and be able to rise to the highest positions of responsibility. He reiterated, however, that those who were disloyal, those who held racist attitudes, those who abused authority and the ill disciplined were not welcome in the new Defence Force.

In his inaugural statement in May 1998, it was clear that General Nyanda was nobody’s puppet. He was a loyal, dynamic leader who immediately took responsibility for the SANDF just as it was. From the start, General Nyanda made it clear that the SANDF, as one of the power bases of the State, would be instrumental in carrying out government policies.

He set three main themes to guide him through his vision of the new SANDF:

* The SANDF will be a positive force contributing to the promotion of the African Renaissance through its nurturing of peace and stability, supporting civil authority and regional defence co-operation. In this regard, the SANDF is today playing a meaningful role in the Great Lakes region. The role of our men and women was commended by the President during his State of the Nation Address, when he referred to them as “midwives of peace”.

* Resource constraints must be seen as a challenge and not an obstacle. The Defence Force must improve its service delivery despite limited resources. General Nyanda always argued that there had been a commitment to acquiring new equipment. In recent years, we have witnessed both the SA Navy and SA Air Force receiving equipment. As he retires, the new landward capabilities are still to be acquired, especially through the advent of continental peacekeeping.

* The SANDF will become a learning organisation practising continuous improvement in partnership with the nation. In his own view, the time has come for the SANDF to benchmark against the best.

Nyanda immediately demanded loyalty of all his staff and sent out a clear warning to those who practised racism or favouritism, abused authority, or who were corrupted, wasteful or incompetent. For him, a strict disciplinarian, there was no excuse for any acts which might embarrass or tarnish the image of the Defence Force under his command.

The SANDF at that stage had not yet established its own unique military culture. The integration of statutory and non-statutory forces left the members uncertain about their identity and their future. Realising the utmost importance of unity, Nyanda emphasised that all different traditions and cultures should blend into a new defence culture which would underpin the Government’s policy of equal opportunities.

His vision was to transform the SANDF into a stronger, more united and respectable Defence Force worthy of its prominent role in pursuit of the African Renaissance.

When he came into office, Nyanda insisted that all South Africans were welcome and would have the opportunity to rise to the highest positions of responsibility, irrespective of race, religion, gender or belief. Although he was determined to accelerate equal opportunity and affirmative action programmes, his long-term perspective was one of rigorous pursuance of a policy of appointment strictly on merit.

In his younger days he was exposed to leadership positions even as he began his military career in 1974 when he was a Recruiting Officer and later Trainee Unit Commander for the African National Congress. His fighting skills took him further and saw him become Commissar of the then Transvaal Urban Operations in 1979.

From 1979 to 1983 he was Commander of the Urban Machinery, a position which led to his appointment as Chief of Staff of the then Eastern Transvaal Command. This position he held up until 1986.

As the struggle for liberation intensified, he served as Chairman of the Political Military Committee from 1986 to 1988. He was the appointed Deputy Head of the Political Military Underground Leadership inside South Africa.

This position he held until 14 July 1990 when some bad news arrived: “Very urgent. It appears that “Vula” may be facing serious and major casualties.” In the next three days contact with General Nyanda was lost. He had earlier reported that certain members had been missing for weeks.

General Nyanda was part of Operation “Vula”, with its sophisticated underground communications network. He was arrested in July and released on 8 November 1990, with several of his colleagues, on bail of nearly R300 000. At the time of their release negotiations were under way with the previous government.

In July 1991General Nyanda was elected to the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress (ANC), and thus elevated to higher decision making positions. The following year he rose to the position of Chief of Staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the ANC.

He was a respected, down-to-earth person who was trusted by his people to lead them into a new, but uncertain era of defence in this country. From January to June 1994, Nyanda co-chaired the Joint Military Coordinating Committee of the Transitional Executive Council and later that year became the first black Chief of Defence Force Staff of the newly established South African National Defence Force.

Siphiwe Nyanda silenced many prophets of doom by making the transition from a liberation fighter to lead a conventional force with the greatest of ease. He was not intimidated by the then existing defence command structures and acted as a catalyst during the integration of the Statutory and Non-statutory Forces. Nyanda, a freedom fighter himself, understood the disadvantage of soldiers returning from exile. He encouraged them to work extremely hard and to concentrate on the bridging training to better their positions to ensure promotion in the new Defence Force.

To many of his comrades and colleagues, Nyanda became a symbol of the success of the integrated forces by successfully completing the highest military qualification of the SANDF, the then SA Senior Command and Staff Course and the Joint Staff Course, within two years. After a brief period as the General Officer Commanding Gauteng, Nyanda was appointed Deputy Chief of the SANDF in May 1997 before finally taking over from the then CSANDF General George Meiring in 1998.

During his seven years in office, Nyanda was forced to make some painful decisions, but as a charismatic leader he took a hands-on approach. When South Africa finalised the acquisition of the Strategic Defence Packages he was delighted. The strategic re-equipping process brought new hope and ensured that the SANDF remained a modern, well-equipped, technologically advanced defence force capable of adequately fulfilling its constitutional obligations.

Nyanda acknowledged that transformation required not only structural changes, but also a new ethos in line with the fundamental principles of our democracy. He made every effort to reduce cross-cultural tension by enhancing two-way communication and speeding up formal and informal Leadership and Cultural Diversity Training courses. Under his command, the SANDF underwent a radical, visible change and much was done to create a new image and culture. The introduction of new rank insignia was seen as a major milestone in the symbolic measurement of the transformation process. New flags, depicting a new SANDF emblem and a range of new decorations and medals were again concrete evidence of the unique identity and growing military culture reflecting unity, shared values and traditions.

During his time as the Chief, the SANDF faced many challenges and successes. General Nyanda stuck to his vision of creating a professional force capable of fulfilling its obligations. He wanted to instil a new sense of patriotism, which incorporated service to the country, loyalty and the highest standard of discipline. Nyanda introduced Codes of Conduct which had to be signed by all SANDF members, which were to serve as guides in laying a foundation for discipline and morale.

As the Chief of the SANDF, General Nyanda was always open to advice and contributions from his command cadre. He sternly believed in leading by example and kept a firm hand on his commanders to instil what he believed was right. Nyanda addressed the sensitive issues of representivity at all levels, career development, grievance channels and labour relations with the greatest confidence. In fact, for the first time in the history of the Defence Force, new regulations permitted trade unions in the SANDF within clearly defined parameters.

It was no secret that the human resources component of the SANDF was a high priority for General Nyanda. Constantly aware that the health status of members directly impacted on SANDF combat-readiness levels, Nyanda called on the Services to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He supported the Masibambisane Beyond Awareness Campaign and signed a pledge in April 2002 to ensure that anyone infected or affected by the disease would no longer be discriminated against. Later, when Project Phidisa was launched, the General also put his full weight behind it.

Looking back to the time I worked with General Nyanda, I can understand why he was respected by friend and foe. As a person and a leader Siphiwe Nyanda never settled for second best. He insisted on the highest standards of training and demanded that the Services select the best candidates available to work the new weapon systems. Part of his vision was to ensure a rejuvenated workforce, optimally represented and focused on excellent service delivery. General Nyanda therefore introduced the Department of Defence Human Resources Strategy 2010. This strategy addresses the high-level HR management concept to align the HR composition of the Department of Defence (DOD) to execute the DOD’s mission effectively and efficiently. Given a limited budget, having to meet operational requirements, and increasing external deployment expectations, Nyanda realised that the DOD needed a new service system which could promote affordability and flexibility in force levels. By introducing the Military Skills Development Programme Nyanda ensured a regular and sufficient inflow of young, fit and healthy members into his force.

In line with Government’s foreign policy, General Nyanda has focused on building and strengthening regional military ties. Under his command, the SANDF has successfully developed into a professional force that is instrumental in supporting the Government’s peace initiatives in the region and on the continent. Today, the SANDF is much in demand for peacekeeping operations, with its personnel deployed under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia and the Sudan.

Since the day Siphiwe Nyanda stepped into office, he has firmly steered the South African National Defence Force in a positive direction and effectively stamped his authority. He has done an outstanding job under extremely difficult circumstances and today he is respected and trusted by all population groups serving under his command.

Now, after seven years of leading the National Defence Force, the question arises, was Nyanda successful? Did he really achieve what he intended and did he realise his vision for the military of South Africa? The answer is yes, Nyanda did a sterling job.

Although the transformation process is not complete, Nyanda has accomplished what often takes a lifetime.

Now, at fifty-five years of age, one can understand why this brilliant, dynamic leader needs a new challenge. He has successfully positioned the Defence Force to face the challenges of the future; he has created an internationally recognised National Defence Force – the pride of our nation. General Nyanda, on behalf of the South African National Defence Force, I thank you and I salute you.

Major General Mohato Dan Mofokeng
Chief of Defence Corporate Communication

Issued by: South African National Defence Force
02 June 2005
Source: South African National Defence Force (http://www.mil.za/)