General Johannes Jacobus (Jannie) Geldenhuys SSA SD SOE SM MMM (5 February 1935 – 10 September 2018)[1] was a South African military commander who served as Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1985 to 1990.

[6]: 77 [5]: 19  In 1965, he was based at the South African Embassy in Luanda, Angola as a Vice-Consul, a position he held until 1968.

Geldenhuys was promoted to general and assumed the position of Chief of the South African Defence Force on 31 October 1985.

[3] The post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission found that when Geldenhuys and General Ian Gleeson were informed that the SADF and Security Branch had assassinated Dr Fabian Ribeiro and his wife Florence Ribeiro on 1 December 1986 they failed to pass this information onto the Attorney-General or the police.

As part of the Commission's hearings it was alleged that Geldenhuys had also authorised the use of SADF special forces personnel to support the Security Branch's operations within South Africa; he denied having done so.