General

Georg Lodewyk Meiring

SSA SD SM MMM
Born (1939-10-18) 18 October 1939 (age 84)[1]
Ladybrand, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa
AllegianceSouth Africa
Service/branchSouth African Army
Years of service1962–1998
RankGeneral
Commands held
Battles/warsSouth African Border War
AwardsStar of South Africa SSAG Southern Cross Decoration SD Southern Cross Medal SM Military Merit Medal MMM Pro Patria Medal ' Southern Africa Medal ' General Service Medal (South Africa) ' Unitas (Unity) Medal ' Good Service Medal ' Good Service Medal ' Good Service Medal ' Order of the Cloud and Banner ORB Order of the Cloud and Banner ORB Order of the Cloud and Banner ORBCommander of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan)

General Georg Meiring SSA SD SM MMM (born 18 October 1939)[2] is a South African military commander. He served as Chief of the Army (1990–93) and Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993–98).

Military career

After obtaining a Master of Science in Physics from the University of the Orange Free State, Meiring joined the South African Army as a signals officer in 1962 and, in 1980, became Director of Signals of the South African Army.

Meiring served as Deputy Chief of the Army from 1982 to 1983 and as General Officer Commanding (GOC) South West Africa Territorial Force from 1983 to 1987. He was later GOC Far North Command,[3]: 99  Deputy Chief of the Army again, Chief of the Army from 1990 to 1993, the last Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1993 to 1994, and the first Chief of the South African National Defence Force from 1994 to 1998.

Controversy

In February 1998, Meiring, in his capacity as the head of defence of South Africa had provided an intelligence report to President Nelson Mandela on an organisation by the name of "Front African People's Liberation Army". This report implicated many important government dignitaries on conspiracy to assassinate the president, murder judges, occupy parliament and broadcasting stations and cause mayhem in general.[4] Later, after it was investigated by a judge, the report was claimed to be fabricated.[4][5]

Awards and decorations

61 Mech Operational Service Badge
(Service)
Black on Thatch beige, Embossed
Rectangular bar (upright) with a black dagger and three black lightning flashes angled diagonally across the blade

In 1998, Meiring was awarded the Star of South Africa, Gold.[6] He also received the Order of the Cloud and Banner 4th class from Taiwan.[7]

References

  1. ^ "BIOGRAPHIES OF NAMIBIAN PERSONALITIES in alphabetical order". Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  2. ^ O’Malley, Padraig. "Meiring, Georg: The O'Malley Archives". Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  3. ^ Roherty, James Michael (1992). State Security in South Africa: Civil-military Relations Under P.W. Botha. New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. ISBN 0-87332-877-9. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b Hamann, Hilton (2001). Days of the Generals: The untold story of South Africa's apartheid-era military generals. Cape Town: Zebra Press. ISBN 1-86872-340-2. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
  5. ^ "It is Time to start Afresh". timeslive.co.za. Sunday Times. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
  6. ^ "About Government – National Orders". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  7. ^ Hayes, S.V., ed. (1994). Who's Who of Southern Africa 1994/1995. Who's Who of Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. p. 385. ISBN 0-9583902-1-5.
Military offices New titleRetitled from Chief of the South African Defence Force Chief of the South African National Defence Force 1994–1998 Succeeded bySiphiwe Nyanda Preceded byAndreas Liebenberg Chief of the South African Defence Force 1993–1994 Renamed Chief of the South African National Defence Force Chief of the Army 1990–1993 Succeeded byHattingh Pretorius Preceded byLen Meyer Deputy Chief of the South African Army 1989–1990 Succeeded byDaan Hamman Preceded byCharles Lloyd GOC Far North Command 1987–1989 Succeeded byWillie Meyer GOC South West Africa Territorial Force 1983–1987
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