WeeklySA_AdminFAREWELL: The highly decorated officer to be buried in Johannesburg tomorrow…
By WSAM Reporter
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has extended heartfelt condolences to the family of South African Navy’s Captain Sharon “Khosi” Hlatshwayo, who passed away last week.
Similarly, the Defence and Military Veterans Deputy Ministers Bantu Holomisa and Richard Hlophe, together with the Secretary for Defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede, as well as SA National Defence Force chief General Rudzani Maphwanya and South African Navy chief Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese
Captain Sharon Hlatshwayo was born in Soweto, Johannesburg, on April 12 1977. She completed her Matric in December 1995 and joined the South African Navy in January 1999 where she completed her Basic Military Training at the South African Naval College.
She completed her Military Training for Officers in December 2000 at the same training unit. She attended the Military Academy Preparatory Course from January until June 2001 and immediately commenced with the Combat Officer Qualifying Part 1 course in July of the same year.
Upon completion of the Combat Officer Qualifying Part 1 Learning Opportunity, Hlatshwayo was posted in the Mine Warfare Flotilla where she conducted her Combat Officer training until she qualified as a Bridgewatch Keeper in December 2004.
After attaining her qualification, she occupied various posts within the mine warfare flotilla, like the Diving Officer and the Gunnery officer.
In 2008 she attended and completed the Combat Officer Qualifying Part 2 course at the SAS SIMONSBERG, Maritime Warfare Training Centre where she was certified as a Principal Warfare Officer.
In 2010, Hlatshwayo was posted at the Maritime Warfare Training Centre as the Combat Officer Qualifying Part 1 course facilitator. She was in the same year reposted as the Combat Officer Part 2 course facilitator.
/In November 2011, she attended and completed the South Eastern African Regional Exclusive Economic Zone course presented by the Royal Navy.
Hlatshwayo attended the Joint Staff and Warfare course from January until June of 2013 at the Naval Staff College.
In February 2015 until September 2018, Captain Hlatshwayo was reappointed to the Fleet Human Resource Directorate as the Staff Officer 1 Career Planning for Combat Officers and Combat Operators. In this period she completed her Degree in Bachelor of Business Administration.
She was appointed at Mine Counter Measures Squadron in September 2018 as the Staff Officer 1 Operations Development Mine Counter Measures. She was nominated and attended the Joint Senior Command Staff Programme in 2019 at the South African National War College.
In June 2021, she was appointed as the Senior Staff Officer Operations Management at the Naval Command Post at Fleet Command Headquarters. She was nominated and completed the Strategic Security and Defence Programme in Cuba in the year 2022.
At the time of her passing she was still serving as the Senior Staff Officer Operations Manager.
Hlatshwayo is survived by her mother, Theresa Hlatshwayo, her siblings and her two sons, Karabelo and Keabetswe.
A funeral service in memory of Hlatshwayo will be held at Dlamini Multi-Purpose Centre, Moroka, Soweto, tomorrow, from 8am.
The funeral service will be a celebration of her life, legacy and service to our Naval community and dedication to the country. She will be accorded with a full military funeral with honours.
