defenceWeb Written by defenceWeb - New SA Army Chief, Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha. SA Army Chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha believes the contribution of part-time soldiers to the overall activities, operations and taskings of the landward force should be justified by returning âthe dignity of the SA Army Reserve to its rightful gloryâ. As one example the three-star general cites the role of the Reserves in Operation Notlela, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) contribution to the national state of disaster and its associated restrictions and regulations imposed to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Mbatha uses the Reserve Force Volunteer publication to point out he was âmoved by the challenging conditions under which many Reserve soldiers serve and the daily struggle, in this time of high unemployment, for them to provide for their familiesâ. His observation follows a tour of all 67 SA Army Reserve units.