Siphiwe Nyanda

Siphiwe Nyanda SSA SBS CLS DMG MMS MMM
Siphiwe Nyanda, c. 1996
Nickname(s)	Ghebuza
Born	(1950-05-22) 22 May 1950 (age 66) Soweto
Allegiance	South Africa
Service/branch	South African Army
Years of service	1994 – 2005
Rank	General
Commands held	Chief of the South African National Defence Force
Awards	Star of South Africa (SSA) Star for Bravery in Silver (SBS) Conspicuous Leadership Star (CLS) Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG) Merit Medal in Silver (MMS) Military Merit Medal (MMM) Legion of Merit (LOM) (Commander - USA) Légion d'honneur (Commander degree - France) Order of Military Merit (Brazil) International Council of Military Sports Order of Merit - Officer
Relations	Sheila Nyanda neé Mathabe (Wife)
Other work	Minister of Communications

General Siphiwe Nyanda SSA SBS CLS DMG MMS MMM (born 1950) is a South African politician, former Minister of Communications from 2009 – 2010 and South African military commander.

He joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress, in 1974, and served as a field commander during the liberation struggle against the South African government in the 1980s. He was appointed MK Chief of Staff in 1992, and served on the Transitional Executive Council which oversaw the change of government in 1994.

Maj Gen Nyanda became part of the South African National Defence Force, into which MK was incorporated in 1994, and served successively as Chief of Defence Force Staff (1994 – 1996), General Officer Commanding Gauteng Command (1996 – 1997), Deputy Chief of the SANDF (1997 – 1998), and Chief of the SANDF (1998 – 2005).

In 1999 General Nyanda was awarded the Order of the Star of South Africa (Gold)

Nyanda was a controversial figure throughout the 18 months that he was minister of communications. Dubbed the “minister of luxury” by South Africa’s Mail & Guardian, Nyanda was alleged to have spent hundreds of thousands of rands living in a luxurious Cape Town hotel throughout his tenure because he was unhappy with the ministerial house appointed to him.

At the same time as the allegations surrounding his living arrangements came to light, Nyanda’s private business was under scrutiny. A company, in which Nyanada’s family owned 45%, called GNS Risk Management Services (subsequently renamed Abalozi Security Risk Advisory Services) was accused of impropriety in a tender process in March 2010. Amongst its numerous clients were several parastatals, including Transnet Freight Rail, passenger train company Metrorail, state bus company Autopax, and the Gauteng provincial government.