Picture source : x.com/SANDF_ZA (South African National defence force – The Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) General Rudzani Maphwanya greets Iran General during Will of Peace 2026 Military drills.)
Pretoria | 18 January 2026
By: Themba Khumalo
South Africa’s Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, has launched a formal inquiry into allegations that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) ignored a directive from President Cyril Ramaphosa to bar Iran from participating in a planned multinational naval exercise.
In a statement confirming the move, the Minister announced the establishment of a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to investigate “the circumstances surrounding the allegations and to establish whether the instruction of the President may have been misrepresented and/or ignored as issued to all.” The inquiry marks a dramatic escalation in an already sensitive political and diplomatic controversy surrounding South Africa’s defence posture and foreign policy alignment.
Exercise “Will for Peace 2026”
The controversy centres on Exercise Will for Peace 2026, a People’s Republic of China–led joint, interagency, inter-departmental, multinational naval exercise hosted in South African waters from 9 to 16 January 2026. The drill brings together navies from BRICS Plus countries for maritime safety operations, interoperability drills, and maritime protection exercises.
Participating nations agreed on the exercise theme:
“Joint Actions to Ensure the Safety of Shipping and Maritime Economic Activities.”
According to organisers, the theme reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding maritime trade routes and strengthening cooperation in support of peaceful maritime security.
Picture source : x.com/SANDF_ZA (South African National defence force – Chinese Millitary meet with South African Navy generals)
According to defenceweb.co.za, China has deployed its Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Tangshan and the Type 903A replenishment ship Taihu, both part of its naval escort taskforce in the Gulf of Aden. The vessels made a maintenance stop in Mombasa, Kenya, on 24 December before proceeding south. Russia, is contributing the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoykiy, carrying a Ka-27PL anti-submarine warfare helicopter, along with the Altay-class oiler Yelnya..
Iran Downgraded to Observer Status
Under mounting domestic and international pressure, South Africa reportedly requested that Iran participate only as an observer, rather than as an active participant in the naval military drills, despite earlier indications of its involvement. This adjustment followed concerns that Iran’s inclusion could further strain South Africa’s relations with Western powers, particularly the United States.
Picture source : x.com/SANDF_ZA (South African National defence force – Iran General during Will of Peace 2026)
The timing of the drill coincides with deadly protests in Iran over recent weeks, which resulted in significant casualties, including the deaths of security personnel. Reports indicated that some arrested protesters faced possible execution, a move that was ultimately halted amid increased pressure from the United State President Donald Trump, who threatened military action should executions proceed.
In response to the unrest, South Africa issued a statement expressing concern, urging restraint, and affirming its belief in universal human rights, including peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association. Pretoria called on Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens are able to protest peacefully, stating that “sustainable peace and stability can only be achieved through solutions that centre the agency of the Iranian people.”
Strained Relations with Washington
South Africa’s military engagement with Iran—widely viewed as an adversary of the United States and Israel—has intensified tensions between Washington and Pretoria. US President Donald Trump has accused South Africa of acting against US interests through its close ties with Iran and other BRICS nations, while also repeating controversial claims, including allegations of “white genocide” in South Africa.
BRICS, which seeks to develop alternative political and economic systems to the post–World War II Western-led order, is increasingly viewed in Washington as a challenge to Western influence. Iran’s admission into BRICS has further heightened sensitivities.
US lawmakers have since proposed sanctions against South Africa, including the possibility of excluding the country from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a key trade arrangement that grants preferential access to US markets.
South Africa’s foreign policy stance has also drawn scrutiny due to allegations that Iran previously provided funding to the African National Congress (ANC), and Pretoria’s decision to take Israel to the International Court of Justice on allegations of genocide against Palestinians.
Civil-Military Tensions and a Defence Force Under Strain
The alleged disregard of President Ramaphosa’s directive comes against a backdrop of strained civil-military relations. The issue follows a previous diplomatic spat in which a senior South African general met with an Iranian counterpart at a time when Pretoria was attempting to repair relations with Washington and negotiate trade terms to avoid US tariffs. Critics described the engagement as military overreach into sensitive foreign policy terrain.
Picture source : x.com/SANDF_ZA (South African National defence force )
Compounding matters, Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, delivered a series of high-profile speeches in late 2025 sharply criticising the state of the Navy and broader SANDF. He accused National Treasury officials of being “unpatriotic” and adopting a “sell-out posture” by persistently underfunding the military, warning that this posed a serious national security risk. Lobese also raised concerns about the creeping privatisation of state security functions.
The Department of Defence later reprimanded the Admiral, describing his remarks as “unfortunate” and damaging to government leadership.
A Military in Decline
These tensions unfold amid a series of serious incidents highlighting the SANDF’s challenges. In early 2025, South African peacekeepers deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffered heavy losses, with at least 13 soldiers killed in clashes with M23 rebels near Goma. President Ramaphosa later faced public humiliation when Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused South Africa of interference and warned of readiness for armed confrontation, further undermining Pretoria’s regional standing.
Domestically, morale has been shaken by a murder-suicide at Macadamia Military Base in June 2025, which left three soldiers dead, and by Operation Corona in December 2025, when two soldiers drowned and another went missing during flood operations.
Analysts increasingly describe the South African military as a shadow of its former self, grappling with underfunding, internal dissent, and strategic drift. The current inquiry into the Iran directive is widely seen as a critical test of civilian oversight of the armed forces—and of President Ramaphosa’s authority—at a time when South Africa faces mounting diplomatic pressure and growing questions about its role on the global stage.
