The South African government’s distancing from recent Iran–RSA military cooperation has intensified diplomatic and economic headwinds, just as Western capitals press Pretoria to realign away from Eastern partners. 

The controversy hinges on remarks by South African National Defence Force (SANDF)  chief General Rudzani Maphwanya during a visit to Iran, and the government’s current posture on the broader foreign policy balance between East and West.

The episode began to unfold after General Maphwanya’s trip to Iran, a move that has since been disavowed by both the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the Department of Defence and Military Veterans.

The government maintained that President Cyril Ramaphosa, with DIRCO’s guidance, remains the architect of South Africa’s foreign policy.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed he would meet the general to discuss his ‘ill-advised’ trip,” a government source said, signalling that the visit has become a political flashpoint rather than a simple military exchange.

DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri declined to comment on potential disciplinary steps against those who disregarded international protocol, noting the department’s role in policy implementation rather than battlefield diplomacy.

The political weather has grown even cloudier as Western powers press Pretoria to clarify its stance amid fears of mixed messages on the country’s alignment. 

The US Congress has repeatedly questioned South Africa’s closeness to BRICS partners and – by extension – its relationships with China, Russia, and Iran.

Political analyst Joe Mhlanga offered a stark assessment: Maphwanya’s public remarks about potential military cooperation indicated a broader “evidence that the country’s foreign policy is not solid.” 

He warned that a pattern of swinging toward the East or West – “going to the East to do something when they want to go to the West they just do” – could undermine confidence in South Africa’s policy coherence.

“What we’re saying is that countries seem to be taking positions when it comes to certain issues, so we cannot state that we are a country that is neutral,” Mhlanga said in paraphrase of his analysis. 

“We need to have a clear foreign policy stance… You cannot be standing on both legs and stating that you support both Iran and the US.”

The domestic response has been swift and pointed. The Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised Maphwanya’s remarks as stepping beyond military-to-military dialogue into foreign policy. 

DA Defence spokesperson Chris Hattingh said: “This is not the role of a military chief. Foreign policy is the domain of the elected Government of National Unity and must be conducted through DIRCO, not by an unelected general freelancing on the world stage.”

The broader concern is that the public dispute over the Iran/RSA relationship comes at a sensitive juncture. 

The US has accused Iran of pursuing nuclear capabilities, a charge Israel has echoed in a broader Middle East context. 

While those allegations intensify Western calls for Pretoria to align more closely with them, South Africa’s economic and strategic interests are intertwined with global markets and the Global South partnerships. 

thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za

IOL Politics

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