President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the controversy surrounding South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya’s visit to Iran, insisting that South Africa does not maintain military relations with the country.
Ramaphosa was responding to a parliamentary question from Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader and MP Dr Mmusi Maimane, who demanded clarity on the matter and whether any action had been taken against Maphwanya.
“We do not have any military operations with Iran,” the President said.
He explained that the general’s visit formed part of an itinerary arranged almost two years ago, though he admitted the timing was unfortunate given global geopolitical tensions.
“I had a long discussion with him, and we both agreed that the timing could have been managed differently,” Ramaphosa stated.
Defending Maphwanya, the President said the general had conceded that the trip’s timing was poorly judged. He added that the remarks made in Iran reflected South Africa’s longstanding diplomatic ties with the country.
“Iran is one of the members of BRICS. In fact, we held a BRICS summit yesterday online, attended by Iran along with China, India, Ethiopia, Egypt, Brazil, and others,” he noted.
Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa engages with Iran as a sovereign nation, in the same way it expects others to respect its sovereignty and right to conduct international relations.
