Abe Notshweleka

Major General Mandla Robert Notshweleka
Nickname(s)	Abe Sishuba
Born	(1954-07-00)July 1954 Kempton Park
Died	2021 (aged 66–67) 1 Military Hospital, Pretoria
Allegiance	South Africa
Service / branch	South African Army
Years of service	197?–2021
Rank	Major General
Unit	South African Army Artillery Formation
Commands	Chief Director Defence Acquisitions GOC Artillery Formation COS Artillery Formation
Awards
Other work	Special Advisor to Minister of Safety and Security Chairman of the Non-Statutory Forces Task Team, Minister of Police

Maj Gen Abe Notshweleka was a General Officer in the South African Army from the artillery. He was born in 1954 in Kempton Park and grew up in Tembisa where he matriculated. He joined the uMkhonto we Sizwe's underground structures. He completed a Teaching diploma from a College of Education in Bophuthatswana and taught in schools around Mafikeng. He went into exile through Botswana and later in Malanje, Angola where he completed military training. He later served as a MK Camp Commander of Malanje. He stayed in Mozambique and in Tanzania where he was a Military Attaché.

Military career

He specialized in artillery while in exile and integrated into the South African National Defence Force with the rank of a lieutenant colonel on 27 April 1994.

He completed the bridging training at the School of Artillery in Klipdrift. He served as a staff officer at 4 Artillery Regiment and the Directorate of Artillery in the office of the Chief of the Army from 1995 to 1998. Lt. Col. Notshweleka completed the Senior Command and Staff Duties Course in 1999 and Executive National Security Program in 2001.

He was appointed the first Chief of Staff of the newly established Artillery Type Formation from 1999 to 2001. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on 1 October 2001 and was General Officer Commanding Artillery Formation from 2001 to 2010. He was appointed at the CD Defence Acquisition at the Defence Secretariat from 2010 until he retired with pension in July 2014. He served as a Special Advisor to Minister of Police (Minister Bheki Cele) in his civilian life. He died at 1 Military Hospital, Thaba Tshwane in 2021.

Honours and awards

Medals

• Merit Medal (Silver) (MMS)
• Merit Medal (Bronze) (MMB)
• Operational Medal for Southern Africa
• South Africa Service Medal
• Tshumelo Ikatelaho (General Service Medal)
• Unitas (Unity) Medal
• Medalje vir Troue Diens (Medal for Loyal Service) (30 Year Clasp)
• Good Service Medal (Silver (20 Years))
• Service Medal (Bronze)

Identification badges

Master Gunner: 79
Brigadier General M.R. 'Abe' Notshweleka
Year: 2002
←78: Colonel Niek J. du Plessis	Lt Colonel Andre S. de Jager :80→