The Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, was commissioned into Infantry Brigade in 1995. The General served through ranks and was promoted to the rank of Major General in 2017, to the current appointment.

The General is an alumnus of Jaji Command and Staff College, Nigeria and also a graduate of the Kamwala Command and Staff College, Zambia.

In 2003 to 2005 the General was one of the five SADC Military expert formulating the guidelines for the establishment of the SADC Brigade. In 2007 to 2008, he was deployed with the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) until it was replaced by United Nations and African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on December 31, 2007. During his tenure in Darfur, he was appointed Chief of Operations and brought with him an enormous amount of experience in serving in the most challenging area.

He participated in a number of regional exercises notably a peacekeeping Exercise Golfino held in Lohoatla Republic of South Africa in 2009. The General's instructional assignments include tenures at the LDF Military Intelligence School.

In a distinguished military career spanning over three decades, and prior assuming an appointment as the Director of Operations Training and Planning his staff experience includes tenanting the appointment of Staff Officer 1 (SO1). Among other appointments the general became the Director Military Intelligence and the Director Logistics.

General Matobakele has been bestowed some distinguished military awards including the "Military Medal for Meritorious Service", the "United Nations Medal", "African Union Medal"; both in recognition for his role as an Observer and a "Thirty years Military Service Medal".