South African Military Academy

South African Military Academy
Motto Discendo Armemus (Latin)
(Arm yourself through Knowledge)
Type Military Academy
Established 1 April 1950 as South African Military College (now the South African Army College) in Thaba Tswane)
Dean Prof M. S. Tshehla
Commandant Brig Gen Lawrence Mbatha
 South African Army
Academic staff
 48
Students approx. 300 future officers of the four Arms of Service
Undergraduates
  • Military Science (B.Mil) in:
    • Science & Technology
    • Human Resource Development
    • Security & Africa Studies
    • Defence Organization & Resource Management
Postgraduates Masters Degree in Military Science (M.Mil)
Location Saldanha, Western Cape,  South Africa
Campus Malgaskop, overlooking Saldanha Bay
Affiliations Stellenbosch University
 South African Army
Website http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/milscience/

The South African Military Academy is based on similar principles to that of the Military Academy system of the United States (United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy United States Air Force Academy). The Academy is a military unit of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) housing the Faculty of Military Science of the University of Stellenbosch.

It provides officers of all the Arms of Service an opportunity to earn a BMil or more advanced degrees.

Campus

It is situated on the West Coast in the town of Saldanha, set against the scenic slopes of Malgaskop, overlooking Saldanha Bay.

Students

About 300 men and women represent the four Arms of Service.

Faculty

There are forty eight members of the Faculty of Military Science who form an integrated group of military and civilian lecturers. Brig Gen Lawrence Mbatha is the Commandant of the Military Academy and the Dean of the faculty is Prof Samuel Tshehla[1]

Programs

A Bachelor in Military Science (B. Mil) is awarded to students upon graduation in December. The B. Mil is the generic title for the degree which may be undertaken in three different fields, these being Natural Science (equivalent to B.Sc), Social Science (equivalent to BA) and Commercial Science (equivalent to B.Comm). Traditionally, Natural Science has been considered as the premiere degree due to its highly quantitative nature of its course contents (i.e. Mathematics, Physics). After graduation, they rejoin their Arm of Service to serve as officers. Post-graduate qualifications at masters and doctoral level are also offered.

History

The Academy was established on 1 April 1950 under the auspices of the University of Pretoria and the South African Military College[2] (now the South African Army College) in Voortrekkerhoogte (now Thaba Tswane), with the goal of elevating students to a BA (Mil) or BSc (Mil) degree to meet the intellectural challenges of modern war.[2]

In 1953 the newly elected National Party Minister of Defence, Frans Erasmus, wanting to establish the Military Academy as a separate, independqent, all-service institution decided to relocate the Academy to Saldanha, his political constituency. In Pretoria it had catered for army and air force students only. It became a faculty of the University of Stellenbosch, who now awarded a B Mil degree to successful students.[2] The Military Academy was organisationally divorced from the South African Army College on 1 February 1956. Its headquarters temporarily shifted to Stellenbosch, while suitable accommodation was built at Saldanha which was his own constituency. The headquarters of the Military Academy moved to Saldanha in December 1957 and in February 1958 the first students, second and third-years, reported at Saldanha.[2]

The South African Defence Force’s increasing involvement in the Border War from the mid-1970s produced an increased demand for junior officers, with the result that the Defence Force decided that junior officers should be “task qualified” within their respective services before becoming eligible for admission to the Military Academy.[2] The degree course at the Military Academy was thus excluded from the development cycle of junior officers from 1976, admittance to the Academy then became an option for those who wished to obtain a university degree.[2]

Commandants

Until 1967 the Dean of the Faculty also served as Commanding Officer of the Academy. In 1967 these roles were split, allowing a professional lecturer to act as Dean and a military officer to act as Commanding Officer.[3]:341

Number Start of Term End of Term Name Branch
1st 1 January 1956[3]:169 1967 Col Pieter J.G. "Vlakkies" de Vos[4]:194[3]:165 South African Army
2nd 1968 11 December 1971[3]:328 Brig Magnus Malan SM[5]:77[3]:343 South African Army
3rd 11 December 1971[3]:328 Jan 1974 Brig Johan D. Potgieter[3]:343SM South African Army
4th 1974 21 Jan 1977[3]:412 Brig J.P.B. van Loggerenberg[3]:337 SM[6][3]:349 South African Air Force
5th 21 Jan 1977 1980 Brig Alex Potgieter[3]:416 South African Army
6th 24 Jan 1980[3]:416 25 Jan 1983 Brig F. Shylock Mulder[3]:439 & 403 SM South African Army
7th 25 Jan 1983[3]:465 19 Jan 1987[3]:416 Brig S. Willie J. Kotze[3]:453 South African Army
8th 19 Jan 1987 29 January 1990 Cdre Robert Simpson-Anderson SD SM MMM South African Navy
9th 29 January 1990[3]:416 - Brig Fred E. Du Toit[3]:495 South African Air Force
13th - 1996 Brig Pieter O. Verbeek[7]:189 (Footnote 30) & 204 SM MMM South African Army
14th 1996 1999 Rear Adm (JG) P.C. Potgieter[7]:204[3]:ix SM MMM South African Navy
15th 2000 2003 Brig Gen L. S. Mollo[8][7]:321:244 MMS MMM South African Army
16th Jan 2004 2006 Brig Gen T.Z. Manyama[7]:319 South African Air Force
17th 2006 2009 Rear Adm (JG) Derek Christian MMM South African Navy
18th 2009 2011 Brig Gen Lindile Yam CLS MMS South African Army
19th 2011 date Brig Gen Lawrence Mbatha South African Army

Annual Awards

Sword of Honour

  • 1953 – I. Lemmer
  • 1954 – P. C. Smith
  • 1955 – C. L. Viljoen
  • 1956 – M. B. Anderson
  • 1957 – T. H. Smith
  • 1958 – W.J. Wolmarans
  • 1959 – B. J. Vorster
  • 1960 – J. R. F. Irvine
  • 1961 – D. S. Hamman
  • 1962 – J. G. Coetzee
  • 1963 – P. D. Steyn (Later Lieutenant General Pierre Steyn)
  • 1964 – G. L. Serfontein
  • 1965 – N. S. L. Steenkamp
  • 1966 – G. J. C. Marais
  • 1967 – P. De Villiers
  • 1968 – L. A. Visagie
  • 1969 – W. J. Le Crerar
  • 1970 – P. Richardson
  • 1971 – T. Fonternel
  • 1972 – R. J. Strydom
  • 1973 – B. A. L. Clegg
  • 1974 – J. P. Nel
  • 1975 – P. Schöultz (Later Rear Admiral Phillip Schoultz SSA SD SM MMM)
  • 1976 – L. Rudman (Later Maj Gen Les Rudman PVD SD SM MMM LOM)
  • 1977 – J. C. Johnson
  • 1978 – M. C. Durrant
  • 1979 – C. J. Visagie
  • 1980 – C. C. Scheepers
  • 1981 – J. H. Leibbrandt
  • 1982 – H. J. Rheeders
  • 1983 – J. Olivier
  • 1984 – P. J. Introna
  • 1985 – M. R. Malan
  • 1986 – W. J. Herbst
  • 1987 – D. J. Stegmann
  • 1988 – C. Van Ryneveld
  • 1989 – J. H. Burger
  • 1990 – K. Wiesner
  • 1991 – G. K. Arndt
  • 1992 – L. Olivier
  • 1993 – A. M. Booysen
  • 1994 – B. Eckert
  • 1995 – J. A. Swart
  • 1996 – J. F. Laubscher
  • 1997 – M. Engelbrecht
  • 1998 – G. J. Pienaar
  • 1999 – L. B. Riley
  • 2000 – M. Riley
  • 2001 – M. J. De Jager
  • 2002 – P. C. G. S. Jordaan
  • 2003 – H. A. Visser
  • 2004 – J. A. Boucher
  • 2005 – M. C. Kgosana
  • 2006 – G. W. Mills
  • 2007 – C. Manganyi
  • 2008 – N. Wallace

Best Student - Army

  • 1957 – P. J. Conradie
  • 1958 – B. Redelinghuis
  • 1959 – D. J. Mortimer
  • 1960 – W. J. Badenhorst
  • 1961 – M. S. Verster
  • 1962 – J. G. Coetzee
  • 1963 – J. M. Van Rooyen
  • 1964 – R. T. Deyzel
  • 1965 – N. S. L. Steenkamp
  • 1966 – G. N. Opperman
  • 1967 – P. De Villiers
  • 1968 – A. J. Van Niekerk
  • 1969 – W. J. Le Crerar
  • 1970 – P. Richardson
  • 1971 – T. E. Fonternel
  • 1972 – R. J. Strydom
  • 1973 – J. Jooste
  • 1974 – J. P. Nel
  • 1975 – G. Liebenberg
  • 1976 – L. Rudman (Later Maj Gen Les Rudman PVD SD SM MMM LOM)
  • 1977 – A. K. Calmeyer
  • 1978 – M. C. Durrant
  • 1979 – D. J. Putter
  • 1980 – C. C. Scheepers
  • 1981 – J. H. Leibbrandt
  • 1982 – h. J. Rheeders
  • 1983 – J. Olivier
  • 1984 – P. J. Introna
  • 1985 – M. R. Malan
  • 1986 – W. J. Herbst
  • 1987 – A. N. Walters
  • 1988 – J. C. G. Terblanche
  • 1989 – J. H. Burger
  • 1990 – K. J. Stanz
  • 1991 – J. W. A. Cheminais
  • 1992 – N. Vertue
  • 1993 – A. M. Booysen
  • 1994 – P. B. Jansen
  • 1995 – C. F. Claassens
  • 1996 – A. Pretorius
  • 1997 – D. J. De Villiers
  • 1998 – G. J. Pienaar
  • 1999 – L. B. Riley
  • 2000 – J. Tempelhoff
  • 2001 – M. J. De Jager
  • 2002 – H. Dalton
  • 2003 – J. D. Quma
  • 2004 – J. A. Boucher
  • 2005 – M. C.Kgosana
  • 2006 – G. W. Mills
  • 2007 – A. Van Der Merwe
  • 2008 – N. Wallace

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mentjes, Maj. A. (2013-04-17). "News:2012 Achievers". Retrieved 2014-11-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Visser, Deon (Nov 2004). "Military history at the South African Military Academy" (PDF). Historia 49 (2): 129–146. (subscription required (help)).
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Visser, G.E. (2000). "DIE GESKIEDENIS VAN DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE MILITÊRE AKADEMIE, 1950 - 1990". Scientia Militaria - South African Journal of Military Studies (in Afrikaans) (University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Military Science (Military Academy)) 40 (Supplementa 1). ISSN 2224-0020.
  4. ↑ Donaldson, Ken, ed. (1959). Who's Who of Southern Africa 1959. Pietermaritzburg: Natal Witness.
  5. ↑ Uys, Ian (1992). South African Military Who's Who 1452-1992. Germiston: Fortress Publishers. ISBN 0-9583173-3-X.
  6. ↑ South African Defence Force Review 1991. Walker-Ramus. 1991.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Esterhuyse, Abel Jacobus. "Professional military education in the South African national defence force : the role of the military academy". Stellenbosch University. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  8. ↑ Ekron, Ziegfried (August 25, 2004). "Saldanha 'torn in two'". News24. Retrieved December 31, 2014.

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