“By July 1981 the campaign strategy for Operation Protea had been neatly packaged by Major General Charles Lloyd, General Officer Commanding South West Africa Territorial Force, at HQ Bastion in Windhoek. He was an outstanding commanding general, and I had immense regard for his ability in the fields of high command and strategic planning. Protea formed part of his stratification for the war in the Western Sub-Theatre – simply stated, the military plans which shaped the ends, ways and means of defeating the foe. His strategy was aligned with the SADF’s higher intention, which was to incapacitate SWAPO’s military forces in southern Angola”
General Lloyd commanded the South West African Territorial Force in the 1980s.
He was a major proponent of the "Winning the Hearts and Minds" (WHAM) strategy of counter-insurgency.[5] He was also a key part of the development of the National Security Management System (NSMS)[5] under Prime Minister P.W. Botha and served as secretary of the State Security Council from 1988 to 1990.[5] He stated that the NSMS was concerned with three areas: the government, (for self-criticism and the correction of short comings), the enemy (to "command, coerce and eliminate") and the masses (whose support had to be won through communication and education). As secretary of the SSC, he essentially drove the State Security apparatus on a day-to-day basis.[6]: 86 (Footnote 57)
He commanded Far North Command before handing over to Gen Georg Meiring in 1986.[6]: 99
He was in overall command of Operation Protea.[7]
General Roland de Vries later had this to say about General Lloyd:
“From my point of view, the most important military leaders at that time were General Constand Viljoen, the Chief of the SADF and the founding father, so to speak, of 61 Mech; Lieutenant General Johannes Geldenhuys, Chief of the Army; and Major General Charles Lloyd, General Officer Commanding SWATF. It was my good fortune that all three were inspirational commanders who had a marked influence on shaping and building the best army in Africa”.[4]
