Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Vejaynand Indurjith Ramlakan (September 28, 1957 – August 27, 2020) was a South African military commander. A medical doctor, he served in Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a Social democracy, social-democratic political party in Republic of South Africa, South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when ...

, during the liberation struggle against the South African government in the 1980s, and transferred to the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the Military, armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the Military branch, armed services. They are in turn a ...

when MK was incorporated into it in 1994.

Early life

Popularly known as 'Vejay', he was born in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

in 1957. He started schooling in Durban and matriculated at Naidoo Memorial High in Umkomaas in 1974. He obtained his basic medical degrees from the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

in 1980.

Career

He first joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) as an underground operative in

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ...

in 1977. During this period, he underwent general military training in South Africa and in

Swaziland Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

. At the University of Natal, General Ramlakan served as the President of the Medical Students Representative Council from 1979 to 1980. From 1981 until 1983, he was Vice President and General Secretary of the Natal Health Worker’s Association, and also a founding member of the United Democratic Front (UDF). As part of the command structures of MK in the then province of Natal, Lt. Gen. Ramlakan was involved in MK Operation BUTTERFLY. He also held office as a member of the first APMC inside South Africa. His continued military and active political involvement saw him being incarcerated on

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

between 1987 and 1991, where he was a member of the Central Political Education Committee. General Ramlakan served as Medical Commander at the ANC National Conference in 1991 and CODESA between 1991 and 1992 before he became Medical Commander for the President Mandela Guard in 1992. Between 1993 and 1994, he served as Deputy Chief of MK Health Service and led the MK military health team for integration into the NPKF and later the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). In the SANDF, he held the following positions: * Director Planning of the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) between Oct 1994 and Nov 1995; * Inspector General of the SAMHS from Dec 1995 until Feb 2000; * GOC Area Military Health Formation from Feb 2000 until Nov 2000; * Inspector General DOD from Nov 2000 until Dec 2004; and * SANDF's Chief Director Strategic Planning from Jan 2005 until he was promoted to Surgeon-General, in command of the

South African Military Health Service The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national mili ...

in 2005. On 2 October 2011, he was appointed as Chief of SANDF Corporate Staff designate and took over the post on 1 April 2013. Following the release of the Nkandla report, newspapers speculated that he was due to go on early retirement in 2014. However, he retired quietly in May 2015.

Death

Ramlakan died of natural causes on 27 August 2020 in a Johannesburg hospital.

Awards and decorations

He received the following decorations: * * * * * * * * * * *

References

External links