Why is South Africa's army chief under fire for backing Iran?

Al Jazeera

16 hours ago

South African Army Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya is facing backlash in his home country following the release of alleged comments he made during an official visit to Iran, which analysts say could further complicate the already turbulent relations between South Africa and the United States.
The comments, which appeared to suggest that Iran and South Africa have common military goals, come at a time when Pretoria is attempting to mend strained relations with US President Donald Trump to stabilise trade.
Last week, a 30 percent trade tariff on South African goods entering the US kicked in, alarming business owners in the country. That's despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's attempts to appease Trump, including by leading a delegation to the White House in May.
Here's what to know about what the army chief said and why there's backlash for it:
What did the army chief say in Iran?
Meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Major-General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi in Tehran on Tuesday, Maphwanya is reported to have stated that the two countries had close ties, according to Iran's state news agency, Press TV and the Tehran Times.
'Commander Maphwanya, recalling Iran's historical support for South Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, stated that these ties have forged a lasting bond between the two nations,' the Press TV article read.
According to Tehran Times, he went on to say: '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.'
Maphwanya also reportedly condemned Israel's 'bombing of civilians standing in line for food' and its 'ongoing aggression in the occupied West Bank', Tehran Times reported.
His visit, the publication quoted Maphwanya as saying, 'carries a political message', and comes 'at the best possible time to express our heartfelt sentiments to the peace-loving people of Iran'.
On the other hand, General Mousavi hailed South Africa's genocide case against the 'Zionist regime' at the International Court of Justice, and said that the effort was aligned with Iran's policies, according to Press TV.
He also condemned the US and Israel's military and economic actions against Iran as 'violations of international laws and norms'. He added that Iran's army is prepared to deliver 'a more decisive response in the event of renewed aggression', Press TV reported.
How has the South African government reacted?
President Cyril Ramaphosa's office on Thursday clarified that the president was not aware of General Maphwanya's visit to Iran, although such a trip would normally be approved by the Ministry of Defence, not the president's office.
Ramaphosa appointed Maphwanya as army chief in 2021. The general, in apartheid-era South Africa, served in the army wing of the African National Congress (ANC), which started as a liberation movement, and commanded a parliamentary majority until 2024.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, at a press briefing, said the general's decision to visit Iran was itself badly timed.
'At this period of heightened geopolitical tensions and conflict in the Middle East, one can say the visit was ill-advised, and more so, the general should have been a lot more circumspect with the comments he makes.'
He added, 'We are in the delicate process of resetting political relations with the US, but more importantly, balancing the trade relationship in such a manner that the trade relationship is mutually beneficial.'
Similarly, the Ministry of International Relations and the Defence Ministry dissociated the government from the army chief's alleged comments.
'It is unfortunate that political and policy statements were reportedly made…The minister of defence and military veterans [Matsie Angelina Motshekga] will be engaging with General Maphwanya on his return,' a statement by the Defence Ministry on Wednesday read.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, one of the four parties that form the South African coalition government, is calling for the army chief to be tried in a military court on grounds of 'gross misconduct and a flagrant breach of the SANDF [South African National Defence Force] Code of Conduct.'
'According to Iranian state media, General Maphwanya went far beyond his constitutional and professional mandate, pledging 'common goals' with Iran, endorsing its stance on Gaza, and calling for deeper strategic alignment,' the DA said in a statement on Thursday.
'Such political statements are explicitly prohibited for serving officers, violate the SANDF's duty of political neutrality, and undermine the constitutional principle of civilian control over the military,' the party added.
Why is there backlash over the alleged comments?
The US and South Africa's relations are at their lowest in decades, making this a particularly sensitive time, analysts say, as it follows June's 12-day war between Iran and the US-Israel coalition.
President Trump slapped a 30 percent tariff on South African goods entering the US as part of his wide-ranging reciprocal tariff wars in April. The US is a major destination for South African goods such as cars, precious metals and wine.
Trump's main gripes with Pretoria include South Africa instigating a genocide case against Israel, the US's ally, at the International Court of Justice, amid the ongoing war in Gaza. He earlier accused South Africa of strengthening ties with Iran.
Trump has also wrongly claimed that white South Africans are being persecuted in the country under the majority Black leadership of the ANC, the country's main political party to which President Ramaphosa belongs. He also claims South Africa is confiscating land belonging to whites.
White South Africans are a wealthy minority and largely descendants of Dutch settlers. Afrikaner governments controlled the country under the racist apartheid system until 1990.
South African wealth, particularly land, continues to be controlled disproportionately by the country's white population. In recent times, fringe, extremist Afrikaner groups claiming that whites are being targeted by Black people have emerged, pointing to cases of white farmers being attacked by criminals on their farmland.
Elon Musk, Trump's one-time adviser before their public fallout in June, had also made claims of white persecution and claimed that the South African government's business laws were blocking his internet company from operating in the country.
He was referring to laws requiring that foreign businesses be partly owned by Blacks or other historically disadvantaged groups, such as people living with disabilities.
The South African government denied Musk's accusations.
In early May, Trump's government admitted 59 white 'refugees' in a resettlement programme meant to protect them.
Previously, the US, under former President Joe Biden, was at loggerheads with South Africa over its close ties with Russia and its vocal criticism of Israel.
The latest incident echoes a 2022 scandal when a sanctioned Russian cargo ship called the Lady R docked at Simon's Town Naval Base in the Western Cape, said analyst Chris Vandome of think tank Chatham House. The US alleged at the time that South African military supplies were loaded onto the ship and used in the Ukraine war, claims South Africa denied.
'It lies with South African foreign policy formation and the lack of clarity and consistency around it that has created this confusion whereby people think they are saying things in line with what the nation thinks,' he said.
How has South Africa tried to appease the US?
On May 21, President Ramaphosa led a delegation to the White House in a bid to 'reset relations' with Trump and hopefully secure lower tariff deals.
At the heated meeting, however, Trump refused to back down from his claims of white persecution, despite Ramaphosa clarifying that South Africa was facing widespread crime in general, and that there was no evidence that whites in particular were being targeted.
South Africa, during the meeting, offered to buy US liquefied natural gas and invest $3.3bn in US industries in exchange for lower tariffs. The delegation also agreed to a review of the country's business ownership laws.
However, Trump's 30 percent tariffs went into effect last week. Analysts say it could put up to 30,000 South African jobs at risk, particularly in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa's government promised to take further action to ease the burden on manufacturers and exporters. On Tuesday, Trade Minister Parks Tau told reporters that South Africa has submitted a revised proposal to Washington, without giving details.
General Maphwanya's pronouncements this week, therefore, 'couldn't have come at a worse time' for South African diplomatic ties with the US, security analyst Jakkie Cilliers of the International Security Institute said, speaking to South African state TV, SABC.
'For the chief of the national defence force to pronounce so clearly and so unequivocally at this time is remarkably politically sensitive,' Cilliers said, adding that the general could be asked to resign upon his return.
What has General Maphwanya said?
Maphwanya, who the presidency said has returned to the country, has not put out public statements on the controversy. It is unclear how the government might sanction him. President Ramaphosa is set to meet with the army chief for briefings in the coming weeks, a presidency spokesperson said.