Lawrence Mbatha
Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha is the current Chief of the South African Army. He was appointed to this position in April 2020, before being appointed Chief of the Army he was the General Officer Commanding of the South african National Defence Force training command and before that he was the 19th Commandant of the South African Military Academy.
Lawrence Khulekani Mbatha | |
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| Born | Kimberly, Northern Cape |
| Allegiance |  |
| Service/ |  |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | 3 SA Infantry Battalion |
| Commands held |
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Military career
He joined Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1984 and completed courses in Angola and Zimbabwe.[1]
He became part of the South African National Defence Force in 1994 when all the forces were integrated.
In 2003 he served as Officer Commanding of the Army Support Base in Johannesburg, followed by an appointment as Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Army (2007) before serving as Officer Commanding of the South African Army Gymnasium in 2011. He became Commandant of the South African Military Academy in 2012-2018.
References
- "ACADEMY UNDER NEW COMMAND". Weslander. August 20, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thabiso Mokhosi |
Chief of the Army 2020- |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by Gordon Yekelo |
GOC Training Command 2017-2020 |
Succeeded by Xolani Mankayi |
| Preceded by Lindile Yam |
Commandant of the Military Academy 2012-2017 |
Succeeded by Gerald Pharo |