Solly Shoke

Solly Zacharia Shoke ( born August 15, 1956 in Alexandra) is a South African anti- apartheid fighters and military personnel. His early military practice began as a field commander of the opposition Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK ), and a commander training in the former Soviet Union. Since 2011 Shoke leads as head the South African armed forces ( South African National Defence Force ).

Life

Training

The school closed Shoke at the Orlando High School in Soweto from. He completed his basic military training in Angola. After a training course for brigade commanders followed in the Soviet Union. At the South African Institute of People Management, he earned a Diploma in Personnel Management and the private educational institutions Damelin Diploma of Human Resource Management. From the Witwatersrand University, he received a certificate for Defence Management. In the years 1993 and 1994 Shoke graduated in Zimbabwe military training for middle managers. He purposefully added from 1995 to 1996 its military development with a course at the South African Army College Members of the High Command and in 1998 at the same institution with a course for role holder of the army with overarching tasks, the highest military education level in South Africa.

Activities

In the wake of the riots in 1976 he went to MK and was employed there until 1980 in the Transvaal Command along with Selaelo Ramusi, Siphiwe Nyanda and Ntsie Manye.

In the 1980s he served as a field commander in activities of MK. Based on its experience in these illegal activities management responsibilities assigned to it in the secret command of the operation Vula. Later, between 1985 and 1987, he acted as Commander in the MK underground operation Transvaal Machinery (Operation Cetshwayo ), a sabotage project with the use of landmines in the north-eastern border regions of South Africa to neighboring Mozambique. These activities were aimed the former units of the SADF (South African Defence Force ) to add technical and human losses. To this end, weapons and soldiers from Swaziland were infiltrated to the territory of South Africa. These operations he was interviewed in 2000 by the amnesty committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission ( TRC).

In the transitional phase at the end of the apartheid policy Shoke was a member of the National Organising Department ( German about: National Organization Department ) of the ANC, whose task was to organize the organizational structures throughout the country in accordance with the new changed situation. In 1994 he was involved on behalf of the ANC committees of the government on the restructuring of the South African armed forces. The first function in the newly formed armed forces was the post of Director of HR planning. 1997 he was appointed director of integration with the responsibility to train the remaining staff of MK, the APLA ( Azanian People's Liberation Army ) and the SADF (South African Defence Force ), the new South African armed forces SANDF (South African National Defence Force ).

In 1998 Shoke the South African Development Countries Forces commander during Operation Boleas on the territory of Lesotho. This was a military action with 700 soldiers of the South African land forces, including air support along with military units from Botswana ( Botswana Defence Force ), which lasted essentially of 22 September 1998 to 2 November 1998, for which South Africa had to spend about 24 million Rand. The intervention was carried out on the basis of political unrest that occurred after allegedly rigged elections.

Between January 1999 and October 2000, he had as director of recruitment direct influence on the future staffing structure of the entire armed forces. In 2000 he was promoted to Major General Shoke and gave him the duties of the Director of Human Resources Support. In June 2004 there was a further promotion to Lieutenant General, which resulted in Shoke on August 1, by Gilbert Ramano the command of the South African Land Forces (South African Army) took over.

In 2005, he represented the public the view that South Africa is a stable safety factor on the African continent, justifying this by the policy strategy New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD ) his government.

SANDF leadership

South African President Jacob Zuma appointed 10 May 2011 Lieutenant General Solly Zacharia Shoke with effect from 1 June 2011 as the Chief of the South African armed forces. He followed the General Nhlanhla Ngwenya in this office (Godfrey Ngwenya ), who was appointed to the South African charge d'affaires in Angola. Previously Shoke commander of the armed forces South African Army. He speaks nine languages.

Quote

"The SA Army needs the right people ( recruits ) who are young and mentally fit and willing to serve Their country, and Those Who are not only looking for a job. ( The South African Army needs the right people ( recruits ), who are young and mentally fit and ready to serve for their country, and not those that are just looking for a job. ) "

Criticism

Sources at the Afrikaner population, he was appointed chief of the armed forces has been criticized by referring to the disputes with fatalities among representatives and supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party by the MK during Operation Vula.

The Parliamentary Committee, the Interim Defence Force Service Commission, criticized a lack of discipline in the troops and their poor working conditions. You conjoining the hope that Shoke could contribute significantly to the solution of the problems.

Family

Shoke is married and has four children.