Georg Meiring

General

Georg Lodewyk Meiring

SSA SD SM MMM
General; Georg Lodewyk Meiring; SSA SD SM MMM
Born	18 October 1939; Ladybrand, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa
Died	3 September 2024 (aged 84); Pretoria, South Africa
Allegiance	South Africa
Service / branch	South African Army
Years of service	1962–1998
Rank	General
Commands	Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993–98); Chief of the Army (1990–93); Far North Command (1987–89); South West African Territorial Force (1983–87);
Battles / wars	South African Border War
Awards

General Georg Meiring SSA SD SM MMM (18 October 1939 – 3 September 2024) was 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).

Background

Georg Meiring was born in Ladybrand, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa on 18 October 1939.^[1]^[2] He obtained a Master of Science in Physics from the University of the Orange Free State.

Meiring died in Pretoria on 3 September 2024, at the age of 84.^[3]

Military career

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,^[4]^: 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.^[5] Later, after it was investigated by a judge, the report was claimed to be fabricated.^[5]^[6]

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.^[7] He also received the Order of the Cloud and Banner 4th class from Taiwan.^[8]

Star of South Africa (Gold) (SSAG)
Southern Cross Decoration (SD)
Southern Cross Medal (1975) (SM)
Military Merit Medal (MMM)
Pro Patria Medal
Southern Africa Medal
General Service Medal (South Africa)
Unitas (Unity) Medal
Good Service Medal (Gold (30 Years))
Good Service Medal (Silver (20 Years))
Good Service Medal (Bronze (10 Years))
Order of the Cloud and Banner (2^nd Grade - with Grand Cordon) (ORB)
Order of the Cloud and Banner (3^rd Grade - with Yellow Grand Cordon) (ORB)
Order of the Cloud and Banner (4^th Grade - with Special Cravat) (ORB)
Commander of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan)

References

^ "BIOGRAPHIES OF NAMIBIAN PERSONALITIES in alphabetical order". Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ O’Malley, Padraig. "Meiring, Georg: The O'Malley Archives". Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ Mitchley, Alex (4 September 2024). "General Georg Meiring, the first SANDF chief under Mandela, has died". News24. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
^ 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.
^ ^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.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "It is Time to start Afresh". timeslive.co.za. Sunday Times. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
^ "About Government – National Orders". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
^ 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 title Retitled from Chief of the South African Defence Force	Chief of the South African National Defence Force 1994–1998	Succeeded by Siphiwe Nyanda
Preceded by Andreas Liebenberg	Chief of the South African Defence Force 1993–1994	Renamed Chief of the South African National Defence Force
Preceded by Andreas Liebenberg	Chief of the Army 1990–1993	Succeeded by Hattingh Pretorius
Preceded by Len Meyer	Deputy Chief of the South African Army 1989–1990	Succeeded by Daan Hamman
Preceded by Charles Lloyd	GOC Far North Command 1987–1989	Succeeded by Willie Meyer
Preceded by Charles Lloyd	GOC South West Africa Territorial Force 1983–1987	Succeeded by Willie Meyer

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[1] "BIOGRAPHIES OF NAMIBIAN PERSONALITIES in alphabetical order". Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[OMalley-2] O’Malley, Padraig. "Meiring, Georg: The O'Malley Archives". Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[N24death-3] Mitchley, Alex (4 September 2024). "General Georg Meiring, the first SANDF chief under Mandela, has died". News24. Retrieved 4 September 2024.

[Roherty1992-4] 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.

[DayOfGen-5] 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.^{[permanent dead link]}

[6] "It is Time to start Afresh". timeslive.co.za. Sunday Times. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.

[7] "About Government – National Orders". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2014.

[WhosWho95-8] 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.

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v t e Chiefs of the South African military
List of South African military chiefs
Chief of the UDF 1912 – 1957	Andries Brink Pierre van Ryneveld Leonard Beyers Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper Stephen Melville
Commandant General of the SADF 1958 – 1973	Stephen Melville Pieter Grobbelaar Rudolph Hiemstra Hugo Biermann
Chief of the SADF 1973 – 1994	Hugo Biermann Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Lodewyk Meiring
Chief of the SANDF 1994 – present	Georg Lodewyk Meiring Siphiwe Nyanda Godfrey Ngwenya Solly Shoke Rudzani Maphwanya

v t e Chiefs of the South African Army
List of South African military chiefs
Director-General of Land Forces	Christiaan du Toit Hendrik Klopper
Army Chief of Staff	Hendrik Klopper Pieter Grobbelaar Nick Bierman W. R. Van der Riet (acting) Sybrand Engelbrecht Petrus Jacobs Charles 'Pop' Fraser
Chief of the Army	Charles 'Pop' Fraser Willem Louw Magnus Malan Constand Viljoen Johannes Geldenhuys Andreas Liebenberg Georg Meiring Hattingh Pretorius Reginald Otto Gilbert Ramano Solly Shoke Vusumuzi Masondo Lindile Yam Thabiso Mokhosi Lawrence Mbatha