The DA has called for an urgent Parliament debate over the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) apparent defiance of President Cyril Ramaphosa order to Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to ensure Iran withdraws from the week‑long “Will for Peace 2026” naval drills in False Bay, in the Western Cape.
The presence of three Iranian warships off False Bay has drawn international attention to South Africa, particularly from the United States (USA).
Ramaphosa’s instruction
A government source confirmed that Iran had been asked to withdraw from the drills, only for the SANDF to later post a now-deleted Facebook statement saying the Iranian corvette Naghdi did participate in the sea-phase exercise.
On Saturday, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told The Citizen, the drills were facilitated and led by China and that the president had given an instruction to Motshekga to ensure Iran withdraws from the exercises.
On Friday, Motshekga said she had relayed Ramaphosa’s instructions regarding the military exercises in False Bay and had appointed a board of inquiry to determine whether they were ignored.
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‘Defiance’
DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans Chris Hattingh said the drills “looks less like confusion and more like defiance within the SANDF.”
“That is not normal neither is it acceptable and it cannot be brushed aside.
“The situation is made worse by the Chief of the Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, publicly hailing Iran’s participation, only for events to unfold in a manner that appeared to defy a reported presidential instruction. When senior officers publicly signal one direction and events on the ground follow that direction, Parliament is entitled to ask a hard question: was lawful civilian authority ignored?” Hattingh said.
Answers
Hattingh said South Africans deserve immediate answers about why Iran participated in the sea-phase of the exercise when Ramaphosa’s instruction was clear for the country not take part.
“Who gave the final approval? Whose instructions were followed? And why did senior SANDF leadership appear to act in defiance of a presidential directive?
“If this reflects a wider culture of insubordination at senior command level, including the Chief of the SANDF and the Chief of the Navy, it must be confronted now. The SANDF cannot be allowed to operate with parallel lines of authority,” Hattingh said.
US slams SA
Magwenya said that the invitations to the participating BRICS countries were handled by China, with South Africa agreeing to participate and to “the use of its waters.”
The US Embassy in South Africa also slammed Pretoria for supporting Iran while it cracks down on anti-government protesters by allowing Iranian warships into South African waters for the naval exercises, which also included Russia and China.
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