Wilson Nqose, (Born Zolile Nqose), is a former chief of Service Corps in 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 ...

, and a former founding member 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 ...

's military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK).

Military career

General Nqose joined MK in 1961, being one of the youngest members to join and receive military training in the Soviet Union. In 1964, he was briefly based at

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

, before moving to

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most cent ...

in preparation for the Wankie battle. Nqose was part of the in 1967, alongside

Lennox Lagu Lennox Lagu, born Mongameli Johnson Tshali (16 October 1938 7 September 2011) was a commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was a major general in the South African National Defence Force (S ...

Zola Skweyiya Zola Sidney Themba Skweyiya OLS (14 April 1942 – 11 April 2018) was a South African politician who was Minister of Public Service and Administration from 1994 to 1999 and Minister of Social Development from 1999 to 2009. Skweyiya was re-elec ...

and

Chris Hani Chris Hani (28 June 1942 – 10 April 1993), born Martin Thembisile Hani , was the leader of the South African Communist Party and chief of staff of uMkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). He was a fierce ...

that fought and lost against the South African and Rhodesian Armies. He escaped imprisonment and returned to

He later joined the

, when MK was integrated into it in 1994, as a

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

. Nqose was promoted to major general in the late 1990s, before replacing

Andrew Masondo Lieutenant General Andrew Masondo, born Andrew Mandla Lekoto Masondo (27 October 193620 April 2008) was a South African mathematician, political prisoner, a former general in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and a national comm ...

as the chief of the Service Corps in 2001. He retired in 2005. Dawn: Journal of Umkhonto we Sizwe, Souvenir Issue, 1986

Honours and awards

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References

Military personnel from Cape Town UMkhonto we Sizwe personnel South African generals South African military officers 1940s births Living people {{SouthAfrica-mil-bio-stub