
02/25/2022
Lieutenant General Derrick Mgwebi, a legend you've probably never heard of before. The fact he continues to wear his Maroon paratrooper beret, rather than the standard South African staff officer beret tells us a lot about his character. Technically, he's not supposed to wear it, but no one dares tell him otherwise.
Mgwebi is an unusual breed, a hold over from the original South African Defence Force, and still active duty in the modern South African National Defence Force.
What is known is that he joined the Transkei Defence Force in 1978, he completed SADF jump school, and recieved cross training with the Rhodesian Selous Scouts early in his career. It is highly likely that he was a founding member of the Transkei Special Forces, though this will likely never be verified. It is known that he was an active unit member at this time, answering directly to former Selous Scout Commanding Officer Ron Reid-Daly. Due to the clandestine nature of his work, the details remain murky.
What is known, is through various clandestine missions, "pseudo-ops" and coup d'etats, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Transkei Special Forces by 1988. He opted to stay in the new SANDF after the Bantustan's were amalgamated into the RSA. He quickly rose through the ranks, a "fighting general" defining his reputation, unlike many of his colleagues who received military credentials through political favours.
His prior service with Rhodesians, the former regime, and Transkei led him to be passed over for command of the UN MONUSCO mission in the Congo in 2013. Apparently, there was internal outcry within the South African military, and Mgwebi was made commander of the mission in 2015.
One of his first acts in the field, was to throw on a patrol pack, grab a rifle, and lead an infantry platoon in a patrol. His troops were concerned, asking why a Lieutenant General attached himself to their platoon in full kit. He responded something along the lines of "I need to know the ground where I'm going to be fighting".
Through his career, he has actively fought corruption and his status as a South Africa's truest "warrior general" has ensured that even former foes, and the ANC continue to respect him.