Andreas Liebenberg

General Andreas "Kat" Liebenberg, SSAS, SD, SOE, SM, MMM (18 April 1938 – 23 May 1998) was a South African military commander. He served as General Officer Commanding South African Special Forces (1982–85), Chief of the Army (1985–90) and Chief of the South African Defence Force (1990–93).

Andreas Liebenberg
Born	18 April 1938[1] Upington, Cape Province, South Africa[2]
Died	23 May 1998 (aged 60) Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa[3]
Allegiance	South Africa
Service/branch	South African Army
Years of service	1955–1993
Rank	General
Commands held	Chief of the South African Defence Force (1990–93) Chief of the Army (1985–90) South African Special Forces (1982–85) 2 Military Area (1977–80)
Battles/wars	South African Border War
Awards	Star of South Africa, Silver Southern Cross Decoration South African Police Star for Outstanding Service Southern Cross Medal Military Merit Medal
Spouse(s)	Helena Johanna (Crafford)[4]

Military career

Liebenberg joined the South African Army in 1955 and, after obtaining a BA Law degree at the University of Stellenbosch,[2] was commissioned in 1961.

Liebenberg was posted to London as a military attache in 1969.[5]^:25 In 1972, he returned from London to become second in command of the Army Gymnasium. Two years later he was back at Army Headquarters as a Staff Officer before becoming Director Infantry and, in December 1977, as a colonel, Officer Commanding 2 Military Area (later called Sector 10) at Oshakati.[5] He stayed there till January 1980, when he became Director of Operations at Army Headquarters in the rank of brigadier.[5]

Liebenberg served as General Officer Commanding South African Special Forces from 1982 to 1985, as Chief of the Army from 1985 to 1990, as Chief of Defence Force Staff for a few months in 1990,[6] and then as Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1990 to 1993.[7] He was a member of the defence committee of the Transitional Executive Council which supervised the South African government during the final months leading up the first democratic election in 1994.

Trial

In 1995, Liebenberg, former defence minister, General Magnus Malan, and former defence force chief, General Jannie Geldenhuys were tried for murder, as a result of a military operation in which several civilians had been killed. They were all acquitted.

Awards and decorations

• Star of South Africa, Silver (SSAS)
• Southern Cross Decoration (SD)
• South African Police Star for Outstanding Service (SOE)
• Southern Cross Medal (SM)
• Military Merit Medal (MMM)
• Pro Patria Medal
• Southern Africa Medal
• General Service 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 - with Grand Cordon (2nd Grade) (ORB)(Taiwan)

References

1. "Andreas Jacobus (Kat) Liebenberg, former head of the SA Defence Force, is born". sahistory.org.za. SA History Online. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
2. Uys, Ian (1992). South African Military Who's Who 1452–1992. Fortress Publishers. p. 133. ISBN 0-9583173-3-X.
3. "Gen. Kat Liebenberg (60), ex-chief of the SA defence force, dies of cancer in Pretoria". SAHO. South African History Online. 23 May 1998. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
4. "Liebenberg word nuwe hoof van Weermag" (in Afrikaans). Die Burger. 28 July 1990. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
5. "The SADF: Supplement to the Financial Mail" (PDF). Financial Mail. July 1987.
6. "Meiring kry bevel van leër". Die Burger. March 1, 1990. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
7. Fact file: Chiefs of the SANDF,past and present | DefenceWeb