Godfrey Ngwenya

General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya SBG DMG MMS LOM (born 1950) was a South African military commander.

General Godfrey Ngwenya was born in Johannesburg on 28 April 1950. He attended Orlando High School, where he matriculated in 1970. He joined the ANC and the ANC's Military Wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), at the height of the student uprisings in South Africa in 1976. While in exile he underwent military training in Angola and passed his further commanders' courses in the then German Democratic Republic and the Soviet Union.

He joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress, in 1976, and commanded MK forces in Angola from 1983 to 1989. He transferred to the South African National Defence Force when MK was incorporated into it in 1994 and he was appointed as Major General and served as Deputy General Officer Commanding of Witwatersrand Command in Johannesburg from 1994 to 1996.

From 1996 to 1998 he was General Officer Commanding of North West Command in Potchefstroom and from 1998 to the end of September 1999 Chief Director Force Preparation in the Army Office. He served as Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 1 October 1999 to 31 December 2000. He was promoted to the rank of Lt Gen on 1 January 2001 and appointed as Chief of Joint Operations to 2005, when he was promoted to Chief of the SANDF.

After retirement from the SANDF General Ngwenya was appointed Ambassador to Angola.

Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Gen. Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya, chief, South African National Defense Force render honors during the playing of their respective national anthems at the Pentagon on May 20, 2010. Mullen presented Ngwenya with the Legion of Merit for his leadership during a time of transition in the South African military and his countries support of vital United Nations peacekeeping operations in Sudan, Burundi and Congo. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist Chad J. McNeeley/Released)

In May 2010 Gen. Ngwenya was awarded the Legion of Merit by then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen

In addition, he has been awarded the following medals and decorations:

• Star for Bravery in Gold (SBG)

• Decoration for Merit in Gold (DMG)

• Merit Medal in Silver (MMS)

• South Africa Service Medal

• Operational Medal for Southern Africa

• General Service Medal

• Unitas Medal

• Tshumelo Ikatelaho (General Service Medal)

• Medalje vir Troue Diens (Medal for Loyal Service with 30 Year Clasp)

• Service Medal in Silver

• Service Medal in Bronze

• Maluti Clasp

• Legion of Merit (LOM) (USA)