Ministers denounce General, yet his Iran stance mirrors government policy: Ivo Vegter

Key topics:Maphwanya’s Iran visit sparks outcry over unauthorised diplomacyHe expressed solidarity with Iran and condemned Israel, echoing ANC policyCritics warn actions risk South Africa’s global standing and trade ties.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Ivo Vegter*.Cabinet ministers have distanced themselves from political statements made by the Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), General Rudzani Maphwanya, on a visit to Iran, even though they entirely agree with him.An article in the Tehran Times on the visit to Iran by a South African military delegation led by Maphwanya has sparked consternation back home.According to the report, Maphwanya expressed South Africa’s solidarity with Iran and made various commitments about “deepening military cooperation” with Iran, with which, he said, South Africa “shares common goals”.After an outcry back home about this unauthorised foreign diplomacy, spokespeople for both defence minister Angie Motshekga and Ronald Lamola, the minister in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), distanced their principals from Maphwanya’s statements.“The remarks attributed to General Maphwanya … do not represent the government’s official foreign policy stance,” said Lamola’s spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri.The thing is, they do. They absolutely do reflect the government’s official foreign policy stance. One might argue that Maphwanya was not authorised to say what he did, but that he merely parroted the party line should not be in doubt. He did.Deepening cooperationAccording to the Tehran Times, Iran’s Army Commander Major General Amir Hatami and Maphwanya underscored their countries’ “common goal of confronting global arrogance and colonial aggression” during their talks in Tehran on Tuesday.If that seems a bit odd, since neither country is a colony, subject to a colonial power, and both are pretty good friends with countries that don’t respect the sovereignty of neighbouring countries, like Russia and China, you’re asking too many questions.The Iranian military chief “lauded South Africa’s ‘firm stance’ in condemning the Israeli regime and U.S. joint atrocities against Palestinians as both ‘courageous and commendable,’” highlighting “Pretoria’s fight against Zionist aggression”.For his part, General Maphwanya “conveyed greetings from South Africa’s president and defence minister and affirmed, ‘The Republic of South Africa and the Islamic Republic of Iran have common goals. We always stand alongside the oppressed and defenceless people of the world.’”The article continues: “Reiterating solidarity with Palestinians, he [Maphwanya] condemned the Zionist regime’s ‘bombing of civilians standing in line for food.’ He said South Africa’s [International Court of Justice case against Israel] aims to hold those responsible for genocide accountable.“He also criticised Israel’s ongoing aggression in the occupied West Bank, calling it an extension of illegal settlement expansion.“Concluding, General Maphwanya highlighted the longstanding mutual respect between the two countries and called for deeper cooperation, especially in defense.“He emphasised that his visit ‘carries a political message,’ arriving in Tehran ‘at the best possible time to express our heartfelt sentiments to the peace-loving people of Iran’.”.Read more:.DA pushes for SANDF Chief’s court-martial over political remarks in Iran.Hatami lightened the mood with some well-timed jokes. “[R]recalling the unprovoked 12-day US-backed Israeli war on Iran in June, Major General Hatami condemned Tel Aviv and Washington for violating international law. However, he noted that their campaign ended in humiliation, with Iranian missile strikes forcing Israel to seek a ceasefire and Washington to halt attacks.”People and their rulersThe people of Iran may well be peace-loving, but the Iranian regime certainly is not. It is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, funding and supporting multiple terrorist organisations throughout the Middle East. It also pursues nuclear weapons, which will undoubtedly be turned upon Israel, to whose destruction Iran has frequently committed itself.As for standing against genocide, Iran’s position is, at best, hypocritical. The Islamic regime and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps which serves it have systematically and unlawfully imprisoned without trial, raped in detention and tortured thousands of members of secular political groups, religious minorities, students, professors, scientists, intellectuals and artists, including children over the years. Many have been summarily executed. Many more linger as political prisoners in notoriously harsh prisons.According to a 2024 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, these purges, decreed by the Ayatollah Khomeini and senior state officials answerable to him, rose to the level of “atrocity crimes”, “crimes against humanity” and “genocide”.Maphwanya’s crimeThe Democratic Alliance, in the person of Chris Hattingh, its spokesperson on defence, expressed its outrage that Maphwanya “used an official visit to Tehran this week to engage in blatant political diplomacy far outside his constitutional and professional mandate”.In an official statement, Hattingh said: “Foreign policy is the domain 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.“This reckless grandstanding comes at a time when South Africa’s relations with key democratic partners, especially the United States, are already under severe strain. …“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.”Surprisingly, spokespeople for the two affected ministries, being those of defence and international relations, agreed.Phiri, in an official DIRCO statement, said: “T]he implementation of South Africa’s foreign policy is a function of the Presidency, supported by [the Department of International Relations and Cooperation]. Consequently, any statements made by an individual, or a department other than those responsible for foreign policy, should not be misinterpreted as the official position of the South African government.”Onicca Kwakwa, spokesperson for Motshekga’s department, also issued a statement (on X, since the Department of Defence website is broken): “The Department of Defence and Military Veterans does not make political or policy decisions on international relations.“It is unfortunate that political and policy statements were reportedly made during the meeting between General Rudzani Maphwanya, Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Iran Defence Force leadership. The Department of Defence reiterates that only the President and Dirco determine South Africa’s national policy on international relations. The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans will be engaging with General Maphwanya on his return.”A day later, Hattingh followed up with another statement, demanding that the general face a court martial for “gross misconduct”, “breaching military neutrality in Iran”, “reckless political freelancing” and “a flagrant breach of the SANDF Code of Conduct”.Actual policyIt wasn’t Maphwanya’s place to say so, but he said nothing that is inconsistent with South Africa’s foreign policy towards Iran.It routinely sides with Iran in international disputes. The Economist has described South Africa as “one of Iran’s doughtiest supporters at the UN”.South Africa has resolutely championed talk, rather than sanctions, over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. At the International Atomic Energy Agency, its representative, Abdul Minty, said that South Africa is “opposed to moves by the UNSC to stop Iran’s civilian nuclear programme”.South Africa and Iran have formal arrangements for military cooperation. South Africa also has strong trade relations with Iran, not least through MTN’s controversial stake in Irancell.Maphwanya’s statements on Israel’s war against Hamas are entirely consistent with the foreign policy of South Africa’s government, which blames the entire war on Israel and is on friendly terms with Hamas.The Middle East Africa Research Institute in July released a detailed report on the extent of South Africa’s close ties with Iran, reflecting on the fact that it contradicts the country’s constitutional principles and stated commitments to democracy and human rights.The ongoing harm inflicted upon South Africa’s global standing and international trade relations is not the fault of Maphwanya. It is entirely the fault of the ANC-led government of South Africa.It is always prepared to sacrifice democratic and human rights principles, as well as South Africa’s economic interests, on the altar of solidarity with former struggle allies such as Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Russia and China.The ministers of defence and international relations might throw Maphwanya under the bus, but he said nothing that wasn’t true, or did not reflect the position of both the ANC and the South African government..*Ivo Vegter is a freelance journalist, columnist and speaker who loves debunking myths and misconceptions, and addresses topics from the perspective of individual liberty and free markets..This article was first published by Daily Friend and is republished with permission

Ministers denounce General, yet his Iran stance mirrors government policy: Ivo Vegter

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