Georg Meiring

{{Short description|South African military commander (1939–2024)}} {{Use South African English|date=February 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = General | name = Georg Lodewyk Meiring | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|SSAG|SD|SM|MMM}} | image = George meiring.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|10|18|df=y}} | birth_place = Ladybrand, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2024|9|3|1939|10|18}} | death_place = Pretoria, South Africa | allegiance = South Africa | branch = South African Army | service_years = 1962–1998 | rank = General | commands = {{plainlist| * Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993{{ndash}}98) * Chief of the Army (1990{{ndash}}93) * Far North Command (1987{{ndash}}89) * South West African Territorial Force (1983{{ndash}}87) }} | battles = South African Border War | awards = {{MilAward Stack|SSAG| SD| SM |MMM |PP |SAM |GSM |Unitas |GoodServiceG |GoodServiceS |GoodServiceB |ORB2 |ORB3 |ORB4|size=x12px}}x10px|link=Order of Military Merit (Jordan)|Commander of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan) | relations = | other_work = }}

General '''Georg Lodewyk Meiring''' {{Post-nominals|country=ZAR|SSAG|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{{ndash}}98).

==Background== Georg Meiring was born in Ladybrand, Orange Free State Province, Union of South Africa on 18 October 1939.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.klausdierks.com/Biographies/Biographies_M.htm|title=BIOGRAPHIES OF NAMIBIAN PERSONALITIES in alphabetical order|access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=OMalley>{{cite web|last1=O’Malley|first1=Padraig|title=Meiring, Georg: The O'Malley Archives|url=https://www.nelsonmandela.org/omalley/index.php/site/q/03lv02424/04lv02426/05lv02573.htm|publisher=Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory|accessdate=23 December 2014}}</ref> 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.<ref name="N24death">{{cite web | url=https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/general-georg-meiring-the-first-sandf-chief-under-mandela-has-died-20240904 | title=General Georg Meiring, the first SANDF chief under Mandela, has died | publisher=News24 | date=4 September 2024 | accessdate=4 September 2024 | author=Mitchley, Alex}}</ref>

==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,<ref name=Roherty1992>{{cite book|last1=Roherty|first1=James Michael|title=State Security in South Africa: Civil-military Relations Under P.W. Botha|date=1992|publisher=M.E. Sharpe, Inc|location=New York|isbn=0-87332-877-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3KsY67M1sFoC|accessdate=23 December 2014}}</ref>{{Rp|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.<ref name=DayOfGen>{{cite book |last=Hamann |first=Hilton |title=Days of the Generals: The untold story of South Africa's apartheid-era military generals |url=http://www.namibiana.de/index.cfm?action=ViewDetails&itemid=1932 |accessdate=2007-02-10 |year=2001 |publisher=Zebra Press |location=Cape Town |isbn=1-86872-340-2 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Later, after it was investigated by a judge, the report was claimed to be fabricated.<ref name=DayOfGen /><ref>{{cite web|title=It is Time to start Afresh |url=http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article63867.ece/It-is-time-to-start-afresh |website=timeslive.co.za |publisher=Sunday Times |date=1 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005093503/http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article63867.ece/It-is-time-to-start-afresh |archivedate=5 October 2012 }}</ref>

==Awards and decorations== {{Badge Display|Mech61|150px|float=right}} In 1998, Meiring was awarded the Star of South Africa, Gold.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/orders/recipients/1998.htm |title=About Government – National Orders |accessdate=23 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104190423/http://www.info.gov.za/aboutgovt/orders/recipients/1998.htm |archivedate=4 January 2011 }}</ref> He also received the Order of the Cloud and Banner 4th class from Taiwan.<ref name="WhosWho95">{{cite book | title=Who's Who of Southern Africa 1994/1995 | year=1994 | publisher=Who's Who of Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. | editor-last1=Hayes|editor-first1=S.V.| page=385 | isbn=0-9583902-1-5}}</ref>

* {{MilAward Desc|SSAG|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|SD|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|SM|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc |MMM|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc |PP|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc |SAM|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc |GSM|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc |Unitas|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|GoodServiceG|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|GoodServiceS|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|GoodServiceB|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|ORB2|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|ORB3|x25px}} * {{MilAward Desc|ORB4|x25px}} * x25px Commander of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan)

==References==

{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-new|reason=Retitled from Chief of the South African Defence Force}} {{s-ttl | title = Chief of the South African National Defence Force | years = 1994–1998}} {{s-aft | after = Siphiwe Nyanda }} |- {{s-bef | before = Andreas Liebenberg |rows=2}} {{s-ttl | title = Chief of the South African Defence Force | years = 1993–1994}} {{S-non | reason = Renamed Chief of the South African National Defence Force}} |- {{s-ttl | title = Chief of the Army| | years = 1990–1993}} {{s-aft | after = Hattingh Pretorius }} |- {{s-bef | before = Len Meyer }} {{s-ttl | title = Deputy Chief of the South African Army| | years = 1989–1990}} {{s-aft | after = Daan Hamman}} |- {{s-bef | before = Charles Lloyd |rows=2}} {{s-ttl | title = GOC Far North Command | years = 1987–1989}} {{s-aft | after = Willie Meyer |rows=2}} |- {{s-ttl | title = GOC South West Africa Territorial Force | years = 1983–1987}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meiring, Georg}} Category:1939 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Afrikaner people Category:South African people of German descent Category:University of the Free State alumni Category:People from Ladybrand Category:South African military personnel of the Border War Category:Chiefs of the South African Army Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cloud and Banner Category:Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan)