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The new Officer Commanding of AFB Makhado outside Louis Trichardt, Brigadier General André Barends.

General Barends takes reigns at AFB Makhado

Date: 30 January 2016 By: Andries van Zyl

AFB Makhado came under new leadership on Friday, 22 January, with Brigadier General André Barends taking over the reins from Brigadier General Schalk van Heerden as new officer commanding of the base.

Gen Barends was born in Mowbrey, Cape Town, on 6 December 1972. He matriculated in 1990 at Rocklands High in Mitchells Plain and completed his basic military training at AFB Ysterplaat in June 1991. He served in die South African Air Force (SAAF) as a volunteer before being permanently employed.

Gen Barends started his career in the SAAF as a flight-line operator and served at 30 Squadron (Sqn) and thereafter at 22 Sqn before becoming an officer. In September 1992, he re-mustered to Command and Control and completed all the airspace control courses, such as the basic radar course and ground-command and control-systems course, qualifying him as an Airspace Control Officer.

In 1997, Gen Barends became a Command Post Officer and had several internal and external deployments in South Africa. He was appointed as a Command Post Officer at 22 Sqn in 1997 and as senior air planner in 2001 at Air Operations Training Centre (AOTC) at Lohatlha. Thereafter, he was appointed as SSO Ground Command and Control at the Directorate Command and Control Systems in 2005.

In 2008, Gen Barends completed his joint command and staff course at the South African National War College, whereafter he was appointed as Directing Staff at various models. In 2012 he was transferred and appointed as Officer Commanding of AFB Hoedspruit until January 2016 and will officially take over the reigns at AFB Makhado on 1 February. He is married to Ms Natanya Marzanne Barends and has two children, son Shandré (21) and daughter Kay-Lynn (17).

Gen Barends will be taking over from Brigadier General Schalk van Heerden, who was appointed Officer Commanding of AFB Makhado on 1 November 2001. Gen Van Heerden will be retiring from the SAAF on 30 January after an illustrious career in the Air Force that spanned four decades. He, his wife Saretha, and son will be moving to the West Coast for a well-deserved rest.

Friday’s programme also doubles as a change-of-command parade for the base’s 515 protection squadron. Lieutenant Colonel Ephry Kgoale was appointed the new officer commanding of 515 Sqn, taking over from Lieutenant Colonel Iris Owen.

Col Kgoale was born on 25 September 1975 at Jane Furse in Limpopo. He joined the SAAF in 1997 after completion of his matric at Mohwaduba Secondary School in 1993.

Col Kgoale was placed at the School for Logistics Training, currently 68 Air School (502 Sqn), as a protection non-commissioned officer (NCO). He was then transferred to 503 Sqn in the same capacity. He completed his regimental instructors course in 2001 and was placed at the Air Force Gymnasium, where he presented training until 2003.

Later on, Col Kgoale was transferred to the South African Air Force College as RSM assistant before he was commissioned as officer in 2004. He was appointed admin system co-ordinator, musketry training commander and advanced training wing commander during his tenure at the Air Force Gymnasium until 2012, when he was transferred to SAAF Headquarters and appointed as protection-services career manager.

Having completed his junior command and staff course in Goma (DRC) during 2014 and as VIP protection training commander in Dakar (Senegal) in 2015, Col Kgoale received his new appointment as Officer Commanding 515 Sqn. He has a daughter, Anaya, aged 14 months.

Col Owen was appointed Officer Commanding of 515 Sqn in 2011. Under her leadership, the squadron won the award for best Practice Squadron for two consecutive years. She is currently in her third year for her bachelor’s degree in social work. Since January 2015, she has been transferred to the office of the Inspector General of the SAAF. 

 
 
 

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

 
 

More photos... 

Both AFB Makhado and 515 Squadron came under new leadership on 22 January with the appointment of Brigadier General André Barends as new Officer Commanding AFB Makhado (taking over from Brigadier General Schalk van Heerden), and the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Ephry Kgoale as new officer commanding of 515 Sqn (taking over from Lieutenant Colonel Iris Owen). Pictured from left to right are Col Owen, Gen Van Heerden, guest of honour Major General Simo Mbambo (SAAF’s Chief of Air Staff Operations), Gen Barends and Col Kgoale.

Generals Schalk van Heerden and André Barends inspect the parade during the change-of-command parade for the new Officer Commanding AFB Makhado and Officer Commanding 515 Squadron last Friday.

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