No Chief Defence Reserves as yet

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In the absence of a chief, Defence Reserves has been operating with its “most senior officer” as director.

Numerous requests to the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate: Corporate Communication (DCC) finally brought to light the Reserve Force component is – and has been – since March last year under the command of SA Air Force (SAAF) Brigadier General Zoleka Niyabo.

As to when a replacement for the long-serving, now retired two-star Roy Andersen will be named, DCC told defenceWeb “The SANDF is in the process of identifying the potential candidate for the post of Chief Director”.

Niyabo, according to the Reserve Force Volunteer, integrated into the SANDF as a candidate officer in 1998, completing her officer forming course at the SAAF College. Various postings and promotions in the human resources, training and development fields as well as attendance and international and local courses and programmes culminated with her promotion to brigadier general in March 2021 when she was also named Director: Defence Reserves.

The Reserve Force publication quotes her as saying her aim is to “define, develop and communicate the One Force concept to all civilian and military stakeholders. One must review the Reserve Force strategy and support continuous training and reskilling of Reserve Force members”.

The latest information from DCC on a new Chief: Defence Reserves contrasts somewhat with what this publication was told in October last year. Then DCC director, Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi, said the post was vacant because “new appointments were not promulgated”.