Cape Town – The DA has called for urgent accountability after South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya reportedly engaged in political diplomacy during an official visit to Tehran this week, far beyond his constitutional mandate.
According to Iranian state media, General Maphwanya publicly pledged “common goals” with Iran on global affairs, endorsed Tehran’s political stance on the war in Gaza, and called for deeper strategic alignment, including joint projects and student exchanges.
DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh MP, condemned the general’s actions, saying they were “reckless grandstanding” that could damage South Africa’s international relations.
Yesterday, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, held talks with the Chief of the South African National Defense Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, in Tehran, and announced the readiness to enhance military cooperation between the two… pic.twitter.com/ZnoqYt5pnL
— Ofentse Donald Davhie (@DonaldDavhie) August 13, 2025
“The Chief of the SANDF is not a political envoy. Foreign policy is the responsibility of the elected Government of National Unity and must be conducted through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), not by an unelected general freelancing on the world stage,” Hattingh said.
The DA raised concerns that the visit comes amid already strained relations with key democratic partners, particularly the United States, following the collapse of Exercise Shared Accord 2025. The military exercise was cancelled by the US over alleged South African breaches of bilateral agreements, affecting decades of cooperation in humanitarian aid, training, and peacekeeping.
“Publicly embracing a sanctioned regime with a track record of regional destabilisation will only deepen our diplomatic isolation, risk retaliatory measures, and worsen our economic vulnerabilities,” Hattingh warned.
The DA said it would demand urgent answers from the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation regarding:
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Whether General Maphwanya’s statements in Tehran were authorised at any government level.
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What commitments, if any, were made on behalf of South Africa.
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How the government plans to repair the damage to relationships with democratic allies vital to South Africa’s trade, investment, and security.
“The SANDF’s role is to lead and manage the defence force, not to act as an unsanctioned political envoy. Allowing our most senior military officer to make partisan foreign policy pronouncements is strategically reckless, diplomatically irresponsible, and economically self-defeating,” Hattingh said.
South Africa’s international standing, the DA warned, cannot afford further sabotage from “political adventurism” by the military’s top brass.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
