Cape Town - Outgoing Chief of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) General Solly Shoke on Wednesday visited the Simon’s Town Naval Base accompanied by his successor Lieutenant-General Rudzani Maphwanya whose appointment into the position was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month.
Shoke’s visit fell under his outgoing tour as the Chief of the SANDF, which officially began in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. The aim of the tour, according to the SANDF, was to afford Shoke, who's the country’s longest-serving SANDF chief, the opportunity to visit various military units across the country and bid farewell to SANDF members.
The country-wide tour which is set to end in Pretoria with the Change of Command also served as an introductory tour for the incoming Chief Maphwanya, whose official term begins on June 1, 2021.
Yesterday, Shoke visited the Cole Point Arena where he bade farewell to the fleet as well as officers commanding from different units across the Western Cape.
Speaking at the event, Shoke used the briefing as an opportunity to share some of his experiences and offer advice to SANDF members who were present.
He said: “Serve the country honourable and rise above ideological, petty political and personal interests.”
Shoke’s end-of-tour visit which is set to be concluded in KwaZulu-Natal will be followed by a Change of Command to be held on Friday, May, 28, 2021 at the Pretoria Military Sports Club in Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria.
The programme is set to start with the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed SANDF chief, prior to the commencement of the Change of Command parade.
