Philemon Jerry Masisi

Philemon Jerry Masisi, (born 26 December 1958) is a retired South African General, military commander and an MK guerilla. He joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress, and served in multiple roles while fighting against the South African government from the 1970s. He transferred to the South African National Defence Force after MK was incorporated into it in 1998, and has served as a Defence Attaché in Paris, France from 2005 to 2008 before being the commanding officer of the 8 Medical Battalion Group, from 2008 to 2011. He was responsible for the operation that assisted hospitals with medical assistance during the 2010 health sector strike. He was subsequently promoted to Brigadier General, assuming the position of Director Military Health Human Resources.

Early life and education

General Masisi attended primary school in Soweto and relocated to Rustenburg in 1974, to attend high school. He eventually completed his high school in Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College. Other academic qualifications include an Honours Degree in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Maiduguri, a Master's degree in Conflict, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and a PhD Session Certificate in Diplomacy from Centre d'Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques (CEDS).

Military career

Masisi joined the African National Congress (ANC) in the 1970s and was involved in its underground activities. In the 1980s, he served as an MK political commissar during the liberation struggle against the South African government. He obtained his military training in Ethiopia and received an advanced ranger commando training, alongside a detachment of SWAPO guerillas. During this time, he commanded Operation LOCUST APRIL 14, which was a conclusive operation for the training which he received. According to the ANC, this detachment of guerillas was supposed to infiltrate South Africa and be the first combat operatives to initiate Operation Vula. He served as a political instructor, specialising in politics and the Marxism-Leninism philosophy and was elected as the Chairperson of the Regional Political Committee (RPC) of the ANC in Angola in the mid-1980s and attended the ANC Military Seminar, which laid the foundations for Operation Vula. In 1991, he left Angola to study in Nigeria

In 1997, Masisi returned to South Africa and joined the South African National Defence Force in 1998. Although his proposed rank of integration was Brigadier General, as he had fulfilled all criteria to integrate with the rank, he integrated with the rank of Colonel. From 1999 to 2004, he served in multiple senior positions in the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), serving as Senior Staff Officer Strategy from 1999 to 2000, Senior Staff Officer Career Management from 2001 to 2004 and briefly served as Director Military Health Human Resources in an acting capacity. In 2003, he completed the Executive National Security Programme (ENSP), whilst preparing for external deployment. In 2005, he was appointed as the Adjutant Defence Attaché to the South African Embassy in Paris, with shuttle accreditation to Belgium and the Netherlands. During his tenure, he attended many AFRICOM conferences and greatly improved military relations, with regard to military and military health services between France and South Africa.

When his tour of duty ended in 2008, he was appointed as the Commander of the 8 Medical Battalion Group, a unit that specialises in military health field operations, and is closely linked with the 7 Medical Battalion Group. In 2010, Masisi was promoted to the substantive rank of Brigadier General, in the post of Director Military Health Human Resources, a post that oversees the career management of the entire strength of the SAMHS, whilst under the command of Vejaynand Ramlakan, who was a close friend and colleague. In 2014, he was transferred to the Inspectorate Division of the Department of Defence (DOD) and served as the leader of Project Mounting, which probes into the auditing of management structures within the DOD. He quietly retired in 2016.

Honours and awards

During his military career, Masisi attained the following ranks:

During his military career, General Masisi was awarded the following medals:

• SADC Peace Support Operations Medal, 2009
• Operational Medal for Southern Africa
• South Africa Service Medal
• Unitas (Unity) Medal
• Service Medal (Gold)
• Service Medal (Silver)
• Service Medal (Bronze)

He has not yet been awarded the following

• Medalje vir Troue Diens (Medal for Loyal Service) (40 Year Clasp) (pending)