Lieutenant General Dr Nsizwa Skosana has taken over as Surgeon General of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), succeeding Lieutenant General Dr Ntshavheni Maphaha at a command handover in Thaba Tshwane in Pretoria on Friday last week.

Skosana previously served as Maphaha’s deputy. His earlier appointments include commanding 1 Military Hospital and serving as chief director for military health force support. SANDF chief General Rudzani Maphwanya presented him with his third star, marking his promotion to lieutenant general.

As Surgeon General, Skosana leads the South African Military Health Service, which provides medical support for military operations and healthcare to eligible defence force members, their dependants, and military veterans.

Skosana said his immediate focus would be rebuilding the service’s capacity, beginning with a review of its structures and a command framework within his first 100 days. His priorities include developing skilled personnel, improving healthcare facilities, replacing equipment, and renewing the medical vehicle fleet. He also identified greater use of technology, including artificial intelligence.

The handover follows the opening of a R624 million military hospital in Forest Hill, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), in August. The 30-bed facility is intended to serve approximately 9 000 beneficiaries across the Eastern Cape.

Its services include emergency care, surgery, radiology, dentistry, and rehabilitation. At the opening, Maphaha said expanding military healthcare facilities would help reduce the service’s spending on private treatment.