Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
# Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans (formerly the Minister of Defence) is a Minister in the Government of South Africa, who is responsible for overseeing the Department of Defence, the Department of Military Veterans and the South African National Defence Force.

## List of ministers

### Minister of Defence, 1910–2013

| Name | Term | Term | Party | President (since 1984) |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Jan Smuts | 15 September 1910 | 27 August 1919 | SAP | Louis Botha (I) (II) |
| Hendrik Mentz | 28 August 1919 | 19 June 1924 | SAP | Louis Botha (I) (II) |
| Hendrik Mentz | 28 August 1919 | 19 June 1924 | SAP | Jan Smuts (takes office after Botha dies) |
| Hendrik Mentz | 28 August 1919 | 19 June 1924 | SAP | Jan Smuts (I) (II) |
| Frederic Creswell | 20 June 1924 | 17 May 1933 | LP | J.B.M. Hertzog (I) (II) |
| Oswald Pirow | 18 May 1933 | 4 September 1939 | NP | J.B.M. Hertzog (I) (II) |
| Oswald Pirow | 18 May 1933 | 4 September 1939 | UP | J.B.M. Hertzog (III) (IV) |
| Jan Smuts | 5 September 1939 | 26 May 1948 | UP |
| Jan Smuts | 5 September 1939 | 26 May 1948 | UP | Jan Smuts (takes office after Hertzog resignation) |
| Jan Smuts | 5 September 1939 | 26 May 1948 | UP | Jan Smuts (III) |
| F.C. Erasmus | 26 May 1948 | 12 December 1959 | HNP | D.F. Malan (I) (II) |
| F.C. Erasmus | 26 May 1948 | 12 December 1959 | NP | Strydom (I) |
| J.J. Fouché | 12 December 1959 | 30 March 1966 | NP | Strydom (I) |
| J.J. Fouché | 12 December 1959 | 30 March 1966 | NP | Hendrik Verwoerd (takes office after Strydom's death) |
| J.J. Fouché | 12 December 1959 | 30 March 1966 | NP | Hendrik Verwoerd (I) (II) |
| P.W. Botha | 30 March 1966 | 28 April 1981 | NP | Hendrik Verwoerd (I) (II) |
| P.W. Botha | 30 March 1966 | 28 April 1981 | NP | B.J. Vorster (takes office after Verwoerd's death) |
| P.W. Botha | 30 March 1966 | 28 April 1981 | NP | B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III) |
| Magnus Malan | 29 April 1981 | 1991 | NP | P.W. Botha (I) (II) |
| Magnus Malan | 29 April 1981 | 1991 | NP | F.W. de Klerk (I) |
| Roelf Meyer | 1991 | 1992 | NP | F.W. de Klerk (I) |
| Gene Louw | 1992 | 1993 | NP | F.W. de Klerk (I) |
| Kobie Coetsee | 1993 | 9 May 1994 | NP | F.W. de Klerk (I) |
| Joe Modise | 10 May 1994 | 25 June 1999 | ANC | Nelson Mandela (Government of National Unity) |
| Mosiuoa Lekota | 24 June 1999 | 19 September 2008 | ANC | Thabo Mbeki (I) (II) |
| Charles Nqakula | 20 September 2008 | 21 April 2009 | ANC | Kgalema Motlanthe (takes office after Mbeki resigns) |
| Lindiwe Sisulu | 22 April 2009 | 12 June 2012 | ANC | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) |
| Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula | 12 June 2012 | 2013 | ANC | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) |

### Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, 2013–present

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula | | 2013 | 2021 | ANC | | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) Cyril Ramaphosa (I) (II) |
| | Thandi Modise | | 2021 | Incumbent | ANC | | Cyril Ramaphosa (II shuffled) |
