Iran, in the form of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya’s visit last year as well as its participation in the recent Will for Peace naval exercise, is in the crosshairs of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the National Assembly.
While the official line from Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga is that the country’s senior soldier did not overstep the mark with remarks reportedly condemning Israel for its war in Gaza while supporting Iran, the DA was and still is not in agreement.
When Maphwanya’s reported remarks reached the media last year, DA defence and military veterans spokesman Chris Hattingh called for a joint oversight committee session to explain a seeming lack of co-ordination as regards South Africa’s defence diplomacy and the country’s official foreign policy. While not stated at the time it was understood that either the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and/or the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) as well the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Co-operation (PCIRC) would take part.
Last week, Hattingh and his international relations and co-operation parliamentary colleague, Ryan Smith, reprised the call for the joint oversight committee session. They want “immediate scheduling” of the joint session “promised in a joint statement dated 19 August”. For five months nothing was done and now “nearly six months later this critical meeting has yet to take place” they said in a statement.
“The delay,” according to the DA Members of Parliament (MPs), “undermines Parliament’s constitutional duty to exercise oversight over the executive and erodes public trust in the coherence of our national security and foreign policy”.
Iran also features in another DA concern – its presence at and participation in the January Will for Peace naval exercise.
Hattingh and Smith preface their Iran/Will for Peace statement remarks as “grave” pointing out the Iranian involvement included a sanctioned naval vessel, Shahid Mahdavi, “linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)” as well as an apparent instruction from The Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO) for the Middle Eastern country not to be part of the exercise.
“Ultimately, the decision of South Africa’s Navy to sail alongside a sanctioned IRGC naval vessel was not merely a misstep, but a profound failure of judgement that aligns South Africa with global malign actors,” their statement reads adding, “to date Parliament has not been provided with any clarity on who authorised the inclusion of IRGC linked assets, whether a legal or sanctions risk assessment was conducted or what diplomatic consequences were anticipated”.
“This represents a serious breach of executive accountability and exposes South Africa to significant strategic and reputational risk.
“The continued side-lining of parliamentary oversight surrounding matters pertaining to defence and foreign policy translates to a grave undermining of democracy and constitutional oversight,” the statement reads.
After making public the names of the Department of Defence (DoD) board of inquiry (BoI) that will investigate and report on “serious allegations” around the Will for Peace naval exercise late last month, there has been no further communication as regards the timeframe, location and other details of the BoI.
What is public knowledge is it will be chaired by Judge Bernard Ngoepe, a former Judge President of the then Gauteng Division of the Pretoria High Court and also a Court of Military Appeals member as well as chair of the Military Legal Services Division Review Council.
Two of his co-BoI members hail from the judiciary. They are former High Court judge Kathy Satchwell, with a reputation enhanced by human rights advocacy, and Judge Mashangu Leeuw, a former Judge President of the North West Division of the High Court and Acting Constitutional Court Judge.
Retired SAN (SA Navy) flag officer, Rear Admiral (junior grade) Patrick Duze, whose experience in uniform includes stints as Chief of Fleet Staff, Director Naval Policy and Doctrine and Director Force Preparation at the Joint Operations Division, is the fourth BoI member.
