Departing Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) General Solly Shoke on Wednesday, May 19, visited the Simon’s Town Naval Base accompanied by his successor Lieutenant-General Rudzani Maphwanya. Shoke, who is the country’s longest-serving SANDF chief, joined Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress, in the 1970s, and served as a field commander fighting against the South African government in the 1980s has been an influential figure in the army.
As part of a nationwide visit, Shoke visited various military units to bid farewell to fellow SANDF members. In his farewell address to the army at the Young’s Field and Simon’s Town Military Bases in Cape Town, he shared some of his wisdom and experiences with the SANDF members who were in attendance, SABC reported.
Outgoing SANDF General Solly Shoke delivers farewell address – the final salute. Youngsfield Military Base | 19 May 2021.https://t.co/ulH3IkcahW
Source | Courtesy | SABC News.#sandf#SANDF#SABCNews
— SA National Defence Force (@SANDF_ZA) May 20, 2021
Shoke also praised the Defence Force for their successful operations, including the deployment in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, and assisting various law enforcement agencies to curb crime on the Cape Flats.
As reported by IOL, Maphwanya whose was appointed into the position by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month will be sworn in on Friday, May 28, at the Pretoria Military Sports Club in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, before the commencement of the Change of Command parade.
Picture: Defence Web