SOUTH Africa’s army chief has been criticised after he reportedly pledged military and political support to Iran during a recent visit to the country.
Members of South Africa’s governing coalition have accused General Rudzani Maphwanya of “reckless grandstanding”, while President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed he would meet the general to discuss his “ill-advised” trip.
The row comes as South Africa navigates tense relations with the US, which has taken exception to the country’s ties with Iran, among other issues.
The Democratic Alliance, part of South Africa government, called for Gen Maphwanya to be “court-martialled”.
It said his comments had gone “beyond military-to-military discussions and entered the realm of foreign policy”.
Gen Maphwenya’s trip was aimed at strengthening military cooperation but during his meeting with his Iranian counterparts, he said that the two countries had common goals, and always stood “alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world”, according to Iranian publication Tehran Times.
He also took aim at Israel over the continued war in Gaza as he reiterated support for the Palestinian people and told officials his visit “carries a political message” from Ramaphosa’s administration.
The South African government has distanced itself from these comments.
The defence department labelled them “unfortunate”, while the foreign affairs ministry said they “do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance”.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the president didn’t know about the trip or sanction it.
“The visit was ill-advised and more so, the expectation is that the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes,” Mr Magwenya told reporters during a briefing on Thursday.
Gen Maphwanya has since returned home, Mr Magwenya confirmed.
South Africa’s strong ties with Iran have been a bone of contention with the US and was one of the reasons relations between the two nations soured earlier this year.
US President Donald Trump, in an executive order cutting off aid to South Africa, accused Africa’s largest economy of “reinvigorating” relations with Iran – an implacable foe of the US.
Trump also falsely accused Ramaphosa’s government of persecuting white people and condemned it for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
According to think-tank the Institute for Security Studies, South Africa’s relationship with Iran dates back to 1995, when a joint commission of cooperation was formed.