President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Major-General Thalita Mxakato as the Chief of Defence Intelligence. She is the first woman to hold the position in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
Major-General Mxakato joined the African National Congress’s armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1983 and completed her basic training in Angola and in Germany. She was apart of the integration into the SANDF in 1994.
SA National Defence Force Commander-In-Chief, President Ramaphosa | Appointments to Military Command Council | 14 April 2021.
Newly appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Thalita Mxakato.#sandf#SANDF#ChiefDefenceIntelligence pic.twitter.com/8wAMRaoE9w
— SA National Defence Force (@SANDFCorpEvents) April 14, 2021
Announcing Mxakato’s appointment and other members of the Military Command of the SANDF, President Ramaphosa says Mxakato’s new role is a testimony of the advancement of women in the armed forces.
President Ramaphosa announces appointments to Military Command Council:
About Major-General Mxakato
Major-General Mxakato joined Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1983. She completed her basic training in Angola and specialisation training in the German Democratic Republic.
She has served in the SANDF since its formation in 1994. Before joining the Defence Intelligence Division in 2003, she served in the South African Military Health Services and the Defence Inspectorate Division. She currently serves as Deputy Chief Defence Intelligence.
Once she assumes her position as the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General Mxakato will become the first woman to be appointed to the Military Command of the SANDF.
