Retiring South African Army Chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Ramano bade the institution farewell on Tuesday, hailing its achievements and urging for its rejuvenation.
Perhaps the biggest challenge the army faces is the introduction of programmes to attract young blood, he told a military parade in Pretoria when he handed over command to Major General Solly Shoke.
”Simultaneously, exit programmes should be in place to enable those who want to leave the system to do so,” Ramano said.
He left the military on Tuesday, on the eve of his 65th birthday, after almost 42 years’ service, 30 of which were spent outside South Africa’s borders fighting against apartheid for Umkhonto weSizwe — the former armed wing of the African National Congress.
He paid tribute to those of his former comrades who did not live to see the freedom for which they had fought.
”I am indeed blessed to be afforded this opportunity as I have survived and completed the full cycle.”
Ramano was given a grand send-off, with a 17-gun salute, a fly-past of the Rooivalk attack helicopter and a paratrooper display.
In his final address as army chief, he said more training should be conducted with South Africa’s neighbours for the army to become a relevant roleplayer in the envisaged African Standby Force, and to maintain combat readiness.
The South African Army’s deployment in strife-torn countries such as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea has proven its support to the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
”Some of our soldiers have paid the ultimate price during operations and I want to pay tribute to all those soldiers who lost their lives in the execution of their duty.”
Ramano thanked the soldiers who served under him during his six-year tenure for contributing to peace and stability in South Africa — also through their support for police anti-crime operations.
He reflected on teething problems experienced with the integration of the former armed forces of a divided South Africa into one.
”I recall the resistance to change people had, and the crisis of unrealised expectations that created an extremely difficult environment that was not conducive to a smooth integration and transformation process.
”I can say with confidence that we have progressed. The South African Army of today is a transformed organisation, though not perfect. There are still some structural changes that need to be refined.”
From Wednesday, Ramano added: ”You will find me somewhere next to an anthill.”
Ramano’s successor, aged 47, is a former Umkhonto weSizwe commander, and was involved in overseeing the integration of South Africa’s armed forces.
He received most of his military training in Angola, the then-USSR and Zimbabwe.
Shoke was the South African Army’s director of personnel acquisition until October 2000, when he was promoted to the rank of major general as chief director of human resources support.
He was the mission commander for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces in Lesotho in 1998 and 1999. SADC troops were deployed in Lesotho to help restore law and order after a mutiny by junior officers in the Lesotho Defence Force. — Sapa